Big Emblem
by Nilke
Summary: [AU fic] The FE7 cast joins the Elibian version of Big Brother, Big Emblem. However, things turn out as planned, after the airing of a rival talkshow... Disclaimer: I don't own FE, nor Big Brother
1. Default Chapter

Needless to say, this is a "super-ultra-hyper" alternate universe fic. Like I'm just borrowing the FE cast and some situations to recreate a 'reality show' in the Fire Emblem universe. There's some more tech, though. And nobility is just an useless thing, a charge, but nothing else (they are normal citizens with some "jerarchy") Hope you'll like it. 

Big Emblem 

Session 1: Aperture 

"Good night! Welcome to Big Emblem, the show where 22 youths will live their lives in a Castle, live by television!", a voice greeted the audience, excited. "With you, our hosts, Lord Athos and Lady Louise!!" 

At the sound of the claps, the mentioned couple got into the studio, opening a big door at the center of the stage. Athos was wearing a light tunic, while Louise was wearing a pinkish short dress, nothing extravagant. 

"Good night, young ones", the millennia old Archsage greeted the audience, both at the studio and at home. "How are you doing, Lady Louise?" 

"Fine, thanks, Lord Athos!", the blonde hostess, happily, replied. "And what about you? How do you feel being here" 

"Fine, Louise, thanks. It's my duty to look after the children of Roland, you know…" 

"Thanks for being here", Louise thanked him, touched. "Welcome everybody to 'Big Emblem', the show that records the lives of 22 people living together at a Castle, without any contact with the outside world. I think it's time to take a look at the rules. What do you think, Archsage?" 

"Indeed, Lady Louise. That's a sound idea", Athos replied, agreeing with her. 

"Alright", she said, turning back to face the giant screen where a videograph was showing the rules. "To begin with, there will be 22 young people living in an abandoned Castle, halfway between Pherae and Ostia. They will get into the Castle today, and will remain there until they are told the contrary, being this because they want to get out by their expressed opinion, they are disqualified by some reason (attempt of murder, peeping into the other sex baths, poisoning the food, things like that), or because you, the public, decide someone have to leave the Castle, after phoning our "two gold the minute" phone lines, voting for the character you want to kick out from the Castle. Then, they won't have any contact with the outside world, except from our sort of reporter, who you will meet later tonight, or the television each Saturday, to see who will leave the Castle, and to hear the support that strangers and their own family give them" 

"They won't be laying down all day, will they?", Athos interrupted Louise, half worried. 

"Oh, no. You don't have to fear about that. They'll have to accomplish some tasks, and if they fail, they'll have to accomplish an even greater task, or to repay what they haven't done" 

"Oh, I see. Anything else that we are forgetting to tell our audience?" 

"I think those are the most important issues" 

"Great, so now we'll welcome Lord Elbert and Lady Eleanora of Pherae", Athos said, pointing to the big door at the back of the stage. Right from there, the mentioned nobles came into the set, walking side by side, holding hands and waving at the cameras. 

"Welcome", Athos greeted, shacking hands with Lord Elbert. 

"Nice to have you here. Thanks for coming", Louise thanked, greeting them and pointing a sofa, were the couple had to sit down for the small interview. 

"First of all, thanks for lending us the Castle. It's an important thing from you", Athos thanked, starting the interview. 

"Oh, don't mention it", Lord Elbert said, friendly. "It's just an abandoned Castle, and we thought it would be a good thing to lend it to your show. Didn't we, darling?" 

"Indeed, honey", Lady Eleanora approved, smiling. "It was a great opportunity to mend it, also" 

"An odd start for a show, isn't it?", Louise asked, laughing gently. 

"Well, we can say it is", Elbert laughed. 

"We'll spoil the audience this way, but they are going to meet our participants in some minutes", Louise introduced the new question. "How do you feel, being some known public figures, knowing that your son, Eliwood, is one of the participants?" 

"Oh, it isn't that odd", Elbert said, coolly. "He thought it would be a great idea to join something like that, and as he also wanted to spend a gap year before getting into University, we thought it would be better to support him in this activity. At least, he'll be doing something now, and not laying in a bed for a year" 

"Poor your son!", Louise exclaimed, shocked. "You are making a lazy image of him!" 

"He's not a good child of Roland…", Athos complained. 

"He's not that lazy… Just sometimes", Eleanora said, defending her son. 

"Anyway, thanks for coming! Sorry for this short interview, but we don't have much time", Louise apologized, finishing the interview. "Will you stay around?" 

"Absolutely", Elbert said, shacking hands with Athos again, laughing. 

"Well, and those were Lady Eleanora and Lord Elbert!", Louise exclaimed, while the couple walked to where the audience was sitting, under a round of applause. 

"Guess it's time to meet more people, isn't it, Louise?" 

"Yes, you are right, Athos! Right here, in this sector of the audience", the blonde haired hostess said, pointing a sector, where Eliwood's parents were sitting. "…we have many relatives of the participants. Right here we have Rebecca's father, the chief of a small village in Pherae. Good night", she greeted the fat, moustached man. 

"Good night, Lady Louise", the introduced chief greeted her back. 

"How do you feel about your daughter, who's getting into the Castle in a few minutes time?" 

"Nervous. I did the most I could to prevent her from joining, but I lost. She still thinks she can find her brother, and especially in a show like this one…", the man sighed, resigned. 

"Oh, I'm sorry… We didn't want to saddened you", Louise apologized, sweating. 

"You did nothing. I'm ok", the man said, trying to cheer the hostess up. 

"Well, do we have any other relative here, Athos?" 

"Yes, we have Natalie, Dorcas' wife, here", Athos replied, greeting the brown haired lady sitting in the first line. "How are you doing, young one?" 

"Eh… well, thanks", Natalie replied, shyly. "It's just that I can't get used to the idea that Dorcas is getting there just to help me…" 

"He applied just to help you?", Louise asked, touched. "Oh, that's what every woman wishes when looking for a man, isn't it, ladies?" 

The females in the audience all replied 'yes' at the unison, and Louise could hear Pent's voice, through her hearings, "Louise, am I that bad?!?!?" 

Louise laughed, and went on with the interview. 

"Well, I have my leg injured since I was little, and he wants to get enough money to pay my treatment, so I can walk properly again", Natalie explained, with tears in her eyes, touched by her own husband's self sacrifice. 

"Amusing, isn't it, Athos?" 

"Truly, a real descendant of Roland" 

"But we are from Bern", Natalie corrected, shyly. 

"Oh, well… but you are living here, now, isn't it?" 

Natalie nodded. 

"Thanks Natalie for being here", Louise greeted her. "We got the news that the Chosen Ones are about to get into the Castle, but that will be shortly. Let's tell the people about the selection process, Athos" 

"Well, the producers were really amazed when they realized the big amount of people that applied for the show, so they had to change the first implied amount of 12 people to the actual 22… which is ten more. That shows the success that this show could be, even before starting" 

"Yes, Athos, it was really impressive", Louise commented. "I remember those productions sessions, trying to see who would get into and who wouldn't, or who would join the list of replacements… it was a real hard work, exhausting…" 

"And what the audience has to know, is that there will be some changes from time to time", Athos reminded her. "There could be a multiple elimination, where more than only one person can get out of the Castle, as well as many other things…" 

Louise interrupted him, over-excited. 

"Sorry for interrupting you, Archsage", she apologized. "But we are ready to say that the 22 Chosen Ones are about to get into the Castle. Let's get to the Castle, where our 'reporter', our link with them, Alina, is, ready to interview the Chosen Ones before leaving the 'outside world' for some time! Good night, Alina!!" 

Now, on the screen, the Castle is showed, and there's plenty of people in its surroundings, with many banners with inscriptions like this ones: "Go Eliwood", "Lyn, marry me!!", "Sacaen pride!", and many others, some quite offensive (you know what I mean =P). 

Then, a bownish-reddish haired girl, wearing a grey t-shirt and blue jeans appears in the screen. 

"Hi, Lady Louise! Hi, Lord Athos!", the girl greets back, excited. "Here we are, at the Castle gates, waiting for our participants, who are getting ready in the truck" 

"We can see many people there, Alina", Louise noticed, looking at the giant screen at the stage. "How are they living this event there?" 

The answer delayed a bit. Slow technology. 

"It's really surprising", Alina smiled, happily. "There are many people who just came here because they are curious, and others seem to be hard die fans of some of our guys and gals. I've already found many Eliwood or Lucius fans, but the one that seems to be the most popular character so far is Lyn. There are many people cheering for her here" 

"That's cool", Louise said, but now was interrupted by Alina. 

"Here they are coming, Lady Louise, Lord Athos!!" 

One by one, the twenty-two participants walked through the improvised stage, and stayed there, some smiling nervously at the cameras, others with their already practiced 'bad boy' pose. 

"Here they are, those are our people!", Louise exclaimed excited, as the giant screen showed each one of the participants. "Now, they will be getting into the Castle by one, and we'll interview them a bit before doing so. All yours, Alina" 

"Thanks, Louise", Alina thanked. "Yes, they are about to get isolated for quite some time. Our first participant is Serra, from Ostia!" 

The pink haired cleric walks to where Alina is, playing the 'sexy girl' thing at the camera. 

"Hi, Serra. How do you feel being here?", Alina asked, friendly. 

"Oh, better than ever. The production sure has some great judgement, as they knew that if I wasn't one of the participants, the show would be a complete waste of time and money. I'm so honored of being here!" 

"Aha…", Alina… said, looking at her puzzled. "Well, that was Serra. You can already get going". What she really wanted was to get her out of her sight as soon as possible… "Next is… Wil! Hi, Wil, how do you feel?" 

As soon as Alina calls the following person, the others get into the Castle, under some rounds of applause from the public. 

"Guess that somewhat nervous", the brown haired boy replied, without losing his smile. 

"Tell us why do you wanted to join" 

"Guess it was to get some money for my family… Mom, Dad, if you are watching this, I'm ok, don't worry about me!" 

"Thanks, Wil. Welcome, Priscilla! What was your reason to join this show?" 

"Ah… I'm looking for someone… and I want to do something I've never done before" 

"Good luck, then, Priscilla. Next is… Erk! Hi, Erk! Why are you looking so… angry?" 

"I've been tricked to get into this", the purplish haired boy replied, resigned. 

"Oops… that's not good; anyway, good luck!" 

"I hope the audience will kick me out of here in the first round…", he mumbled, while Alina was calling Florina and her sister, Farina. 

"And why had you applied, Florina?" 

"Ah… well… I wanted to be… with Lady Lyn…", the orchid girl whispered, shyly. 

"I see… Good luck, Florina, and don't be so shy, you can overcome it! And you Farina, why 'd you applied?" 

"For the money, and to look after my little sister, as Fiora told me to do. Fiora, if you are watching this, you can calm down and rely on me!" 

"Woah, impressive!", Alina commented, as the sisters were walking into the gates. "Next, Sain! Why are you here, Sain?" 

"Well, for the gals, of course, nice charming reporter", Sain flattered Alina, but she just laughed. 

"Thanks, Sain. Welcome, Lucius and Raven!", Alina called the blonde monk, but she turned back and stopped Sain, saying, "Sain, give me that pocket camera. You aren't allowed to get into the Castle with things like this one" 

"Oh… I didn't know", he lied, handing it over to Alina, but his hand seemed to be quite reluctant to do that. 

"Thanks, Sain. What about you, guys?" 

"I have some business to finish", Raven said, quite annoyed. 

"I've come to persuade him not to do anything crazy", the monk said. 

"Aha", Alina nodded, as they walked away. "Welcome Rebecca and Lowen!" 

"Hi!", Rebecca smiled, cheerfully. "Well, I wanted to experience something out of the ordinary" 

"I still don't know why I decided to apply", Lowen admitted, under his fringe. 

"Oh, well, good luck. And now we have Guy and Karel. What do you expect from this?" 

"Blood", Karel said sharply, frightening Alina and worrying the hosts back at the studio. "Training", he corrected then. 

"I'll became the best swordman all over Sacae, butI need some training first… and some money to buy my Killing Edges, they are quite expensive lately", Guy explained. 

"I… see", Alina said, hoping that the show won't end in a massacre. "You are…?" 

"Canas", the purple haired scholar said, helping the disturbed reporter. "And I came here because I wanted a good place where I could practice the ancient arts that you call dark magic. My wife won't let me do it without complaining a lot every day" 

"I'm Merlinus, Dame Alina", a 'distinguished' blue haired man –who was starting to lose it- with a moustache introduced himself. "I'm a merchant, and maybe I can get myself known here, and when I can open my own business, I can get clients easier than in the normal ways. I need the money to start it!" 

"Ah… thanks for being here", Alina said, somewhat nervously. "God, this is getting even more worrying with the last members…", she thought for herself, while Dorcas and Bartre were walking to her side. 

"Hi, I'm Bartre, and I'll show everyone I'm the best fighter in the world!" 

"I just got into this to help my Natalie", Dorcas said coldly, almost expressionless. 

"Well, here we have the two younger members of our show!", Alina said, introducing Nils and Ninian, while the others were walking their way to the Castle. 

"Hi!", Nils greeted cheerfully. Ninian stood behind, looking at the camera shyly. 

"Anything to say, guys?" 

"Well, no, not really", Nils said. He seemed to be the leading sibling, instead of his elder sibling. "Just happy to be here, and that you accepted our admission" 

"We are deeply thankful", Ninian finally said, smiling lightly. 

"Thanks, kids", she said, turning to the camera. "And now, last, but not least… Lyn, Hector and Eliwood" 

The public there started clapping even more, as the three youths made their way in the stage. 

"Well, how do you feel, being here, just before isolating yourselves for quite some time, especially being part of some royal houses?", Alina asked, while the three of them looked for a comfortable place to look at the camera. 

"Well, it's strange", Lyn smiled, friendly and cheerfully. "I sure have passed for quite some things lately. Loosing my parents, being reunited with my grandfather, and learning that I'm part of what I used to despise… it's too strange. I guess I want to find the real me here" 

"Yes, I know what you have passed. I wish you the best of lucks, Lyn!", Alina agreed, smiling, keeping for herself the circumstances in which she met Lyn. It was too delicate to expose it to the audience, in her opinion. "What about you, Eliwood?" 

"Well, guess it's to escape my monotony", the red haired guy replied, searching for the best words. "Gonna try something new" 

"And you, Hector?" 

"Similar to his", the robust, blue haired boy replied, brusquely. "I'm sick of my everyday life" 

"Alina, could you pass me a bit with Hector, please?", Louise asked her reporter quickly, as there wasn't much time before the transmission ended. 

"Yes, sure!", Alina said, handing over the microphone to Hector. 

"Hi, Hector, it's Lady Louise here!", the blonde hostess greeted, as excited as she was since she appeared in stage. "Well, we could talk to Eliwood's parents, and we know Lyn's grandfather opinion, but we know nothing about your brother's opinion in this! Did he approved of you applying for 'Big Emblem'?" 

Hector went a bit pale, and seriously, he replied. "Louise, he doesn't know anything about this. I made my way outside my home while he's still in Akanea" 

Louise stayed silent. 

"Oops… I made a mistake", she said, then, smiling nervously. "So sorry" 

"It's alright…" 

"Well, thanks guys for joining!", Alina thanked them, while they were picking their bags. "We have to remind the audience that the last guy or gal that gets out of the Castle will be the winner, and will receive a huge amount of gold" 

"How much?", Lord Athos asked. 

"A very large amount of gold", Alina said, checking her notes in front of the camera. "Something worth for being isolated for quite some time" 

"Thanks for your coverage, Alina!", Louise thanked the brownish-reddish haired gal. "We'll see you next Saturday, when we'll know the first nominees to leave the Castle. 

"Alright, thanks, lady Louise and Lord Athos!" 

The camera goes back to the studio, where the hosts are. The show's coming to its end. 

"Well, people, this was all for tonight. We'll see you in a weeks time, but don't forget that you can see some extracts in this channel every day, or that you can see them at every hour through "Lycian TV", the satellital system leading in Lycia!" 

"All for tonight", Lord Athos said. "Good luck, brave children of Roland!" 

The show's distinctive music starts playing, and the screen starts fading, turning black… 

"How did I do it, Rath?", Alina asked her cameraman once that her part was over and the transmission went on in the studio. 

"……………… Fine, I guess", Rath just said, after his never-ending silence. 

Alina looked at her saddened, thinking, "Goodness! If it were by his opinions, I would be already dead!" 

"Don't worry, Alina", Heath, the other cameraman said, guessing how she was feeling. "You did it pretty well" 

"Oh, thank you!" 

"Let's get back to the channel. There's nothing else to do here" 

"Yes, you are right. We are having our first production session on Monday, aren't we?" 

"…………Yes" 

"Alright, guys, let's go!" 

*** 

Well, I know that you have read zillions of things like this plot, but this comes with some differences (I think!). I'll try to make it different to the others, so it won't be a rip-off! I know the concept lacks of originality, but... wait and see! Give it an opportunity! 

Oh, and Alina is my tactician (hehehe, I can't leave it behind, I just love her! =P). Hope some will read this, although it's not script like written. 


	2. Coming to know the others

Big Emblem 

Session 2: Coming to know the others 

All the contestants walked into the Castle, and left their things in the living room. As they sat down in the comfortable sofas, some started recognizing each other. 

"Eeeeerrrrrrrrrkkkkkk!!!!!! What are you doing here!?!?!?!", Serra asked the purple haired mage, almost making him collapse with those shouts. 

"Serra. It's you", he just mumbled, trying to escape from her sight. 

"Ah, is that you?", Priscilla asked Raven, looking at him carefully. 

"Shh! Don't say it. Yes!", the harsh teenager told her, almost like a whisper. 

"Alright, Brother", she said shyly. "We can talk later, can't we?" 

"Dorcas!", Bartre called, excited. "Come here, we'll fight!" 

"I don't want. Bye" 

"Hey, Come here!!!!" 

"This sure looks like Hell, doesn't it, Florina?", Farina asked her little sister. "Goodness, I like it!" 

"I… ehmm… Lyn!" 

"Hey, everybody", Eliwood called, trying to organize that mass of people greeting each other. "Why don't we introduce ourselves? I'm Eliwood…" 

"The son of Marquess Pherae", the rest of the crowd replied at unison, making Eliwood puzzled. "What? Am I that known?" 

"Oh, little chicks that Heaven put in front of my sight!", Sain flattered all the girls at once. "I'm Sain, a humble servant of cuttie girls, and a cavalier at the outside world" 

"Well, then, take my luggage to my room!", Serra told her with authority, freezing him. "I'm Serra, a fine lady at the service of the Government of Ostia, or 'House Ostia' for the friends! That one over there is Erk, my previous escort. Greet everybody, Erky" 

"You don't have to treat me like a child. And don't call me 'Erky'", he mumbled highly annoyed. "Hi" 

"You smell of… not blood", Karel noticed, getting near Erk. "Magic books" 

"That's because I'm a mage", Erk replied annoyed. 

"Oh, I'm a scholar!", Canas introduced himself to the tired youth. "I'm a shaman. I study the so called dark arts. Maybe we'll get along well, kid" 

"I'm not a kid" 

"I'm a monk", Lucius said, as if he still needed to explain it, with those blue and white robes characteristic of St. Elimine's folks. 

"Aren't you a cleric?", Bartre asked, dropping his axe and giving up in his fight against Dorcas. The latter one had already left the room. 

"I'm a male, not a female", Lucius explained, really pissed off. 

More than one shivered, and Sain blushed. Could it have been that he was planning to strike at Lucius? 

"Well, I'm Hector", the blue haired youth introduced himself. "Not much to say 'bout me. I'm Eliwood's long time friend" 

"Just that, Lord Hector!?!?! You are Marquess Ostia's younger brother!!", Serra exclaimed without caring about anything. 

"Really? You are the Marquess' younger brother?!?!?", many exclaimed surprised, while Hector was glaring at Serra. 

"Hi, I'm Lyn! You may have seen me in the news some time ago, when Marquess Caelin found his long lost granddaughter. Well, I'm her", the green haired Sacaen girl explained, cheerfully. "And this one behind me is Florina. She's a bit shy, especially with men around" 

"Hummm…. Hi" 

Many started yawning, and that was a signal that they should leave to their dorms. There would be some fights to get the best beds and more space at the closets. They all agreed to go on with their chat later, on the following day. 

~~~ 

"Awww… bed time!", Rebecca said, coming into the girls dorm: a big room with many beds and walls painted in… pink, as if there were any doubt that the girls slept there. 

"The bed by the window is mineeeeeeeee!!!!!", Serra yelled, running and pushing almost everyone in her race to get that bed. 

"Serra, stop shouting!!!!!!!!", Hector's voice could be heard from downstairs. 

"Seems it'll be a tough time living together", Rebecca whispered to Priscilla, while unpacking her things. 

~~~ 

"Hey, you!", Karel called an already settled down Erk. "That's my bed!" 

Erk rose an eyebrow, annoyed. 

"Since when?" 

"Since I said it, little worm", the other replied, coldly. "Get out" 

"Sure, as you say", the young mage said, casting Thunder on Karel. "Now go and pick the bed next to Lucius, which is the only one left" 

"Grr…. You'll pay for this" 

"Lord Raven, are you ok in that bed against the window?", Lucius asked his friend, worried. "If not, we can switch places or look for another place to sleep" 

"It's alright, Lucius. Don't make a fuss about that" 

Guy got into the room, just to bump into Karel. 

"Ohmygosh!", he exclaimed, surprised. "If it isn't…" 

"Say it and I'll open you in half" 

"Oh, please, train me!!", he begged the harsh man, almost falling in his knees. 

"Just get out of here", Karel replied, walking away from him. 

"Goodness! What an attitude!", Wil commented, coming into the room as Karel walked out from it. 

"Yeah, I can't wait to fight him!", Bartre exclaimed, looking at his axe, which he had just picked out of his bag. 

"You are an axe-fighter?", Will inquired, curiously. 

"No, I'm a ballet dancer", Bartre replied ironically. "Of course I'm one, you smiley lad! Hadn't you heard about me, Bartre!?!" 

"Hmm…. Not really" 

"Oh, where's that young mage… ah, there he is!", Canas said, looking for Erk. "Hey, you, what's your favorite magic tome?" 

Erk looked sleepily at the purple haired scholar and just mumbled, "I'm trying to sleep" 

"Excuse me", Merlinus said, coming into the room carrying his wares. "Is there any place for the wares of this humble merchant?" 

Everyone at the room looked oddly at him, like without understanding why he was there on the first place. 

"Hi!!!", Nils exclaimed, jumping from bed to bed until he reached his. 

"This sure is noisy, isn't it, Eliwood?", Hector asked his friend, grinning. 

"It sure is… Hey, where's Sain?" 

"Mh…. Peeping at the girls room?" 

"Ahhh!!! Leave me, leave me!!!", Sain's voice came from the corridor, and soon the young man got into the room, closing the door tightly. 

"What happened?" 

"Nothing. Lyn found me spying her at the girls dorm" 

"Oh, great" 

"Hey, could you all stop with all those noises, and switch off that light, that I'm trying to sleep!!!!!", Dorcas yelled, angrily at his room mates. 

Everyone stood of a piece, and got into their beds quickly before Dorcas could even think in getting up from his bed. 

~~~ 

"Look!", Nils shouted lively when he walked into the garden. "Swimming pool!" 

In just a couple of minutes, almost everyone was at the mentioned pool, with the exception of Serra and Merlinus, who had to make breakfast for everyone (that had already been fixed the day before). 

"Hey, it's no fun!", Serra complained, with a frying pan in her hand (she was trying to cook pancakes). "I want to swim!" 

"Oh, my God!", Sain exclaimed, lost in his own thoughts. " Many, many cute chicks in their swimsuits… I can't be more lucky…" 

"Sain, aren't you being a little too pervert?", Lyn asked him from behind. She was walking along the pool with Florina when she heard that. 

"Um… Lyn… it's not what you think!" 

"Yeah, Sain, you are right", she told him, talking to him as if he were a madman. "Let's go, Florina! Let's get into the pool!" 

"Lyn… I would rather not…", the orchid haired girl mumbled, shyly. While everyone was in their swimsuits, Florina was still wearing a light blue sweater, covering it. 

"Oh, come on, fair Florina, fairy of my eyes!", Sain started flattering her, just making her run to the other direction. 

"She's quite shy, isn't she?", Guy asked Farina, while staring at that scene. 

"Yeah, that's my little sis" 

"Hey, make room that I'm going in!!", Hector yelled loudly, running from afar and getting into the pool with a 'bomb' style. Almost half of the water went out of the pool… 

"I'm gonna die!!", Lucius yelled, trying not to drown. "I'm a cast away!!" 

"Erk!!", Serra called the distant mage, who was watching the scene from a chair near the pool. "Let's switch places! Come here and cook!!" 

Erk went on with his things as if nothing had happened. 

"Come on, Florina, don't be that shy!", Lyn called her friend from the water, cheerfully. 

"I… I like it here…" 

"Hey, everything's ok", Eliwood encouraged her, next to Lyn. "Come on, the water's warm" 

"But…" 

Just then, Wil came running from the other side of the pool, and slipped accidentally, knocking Florina in the process and making her fall in the water. 

"Eliwood, what is it?", Hector asked his red haired friend, but before he could even finish his sentence, he noticed a big shadow coming over him… 

"Ahhh!!", Florina screamed, with her eyes closed, thinking she was still falling. "Uh?" 

"Hahaha! You are alright Florina!", Lyn burst into laughter. "You sure found a soft landing"  
"Ah, quite funny", Hector complained, glaring at her while he left Florina in the water. Thankfully, she could swim. "And who do you think you are?" 

"Lyn of the Lorca. Also known as Lady Lyndis of Caelin, although I hate it" 

"You are that Lyndis? Uh, I expected for more" 

"Same with you" 

"You!!", he moaned, angrily, but then turned to Florina, who was trying to get out of the pool. "Hey, you! You could try to find another place to land next time! I may not be around!" 

"Uh… I'm… sorry", she apologized, shyly. "Than…ks", she added, running into the kitchen. 

"She sure is strange" 

"She's too shy", Lyn said, looking at her. "So you'll have to watch yourself so you won't hurt her accidentally!!!!" 

"Finally! I'm here!", Serra announced, getting into the water. 

"Serra, weren't you supposed to be cooking?", Canas asked her. 

"Merlinus' at charge" 

"Hey, breakfast's ready!!", Nils announced, lively. 

The gang went fairly quickly to the kitchen, just to find some ugly looking, already roasted pancakes waiting for them. 

"What's… this?", Rebecca asked, shocked by the ugly surprise. 

"I'm no cook, I'm a merchant!", Merlinus cried, blaming Serra that way. 

"Hey, I never said I knew how to cook those!", she replied, angrily. "It was your idea!" 

"Oh, my…", Lowen moaned, ashamed. "And we'll have to eat this? No way!" 

"I think I lost my appetite", Dorcas sentenced. 

"Not that I was going to eat anything with her at charge of the kitchen", Erk joined the others in their complaints, sarcastically as ever. 

"Bwwaaaaahhhh!", Serra cried, faking a good part of it. "Why are you so mean, Erky?!?!?" 

"Erky?", Bartre asked, eating a roasted pancake. "Hahahaha!!!! What a stupid pet name!!" 

"Pfftttt!!", Raven spitted his coffee, annoyed. "Who the hell made this sucking coffee!?!?!?!?!? It's the worst thing I've ever drunk in my life!!!!" 

"It can't be that bad…", Priscilla said, grabbing her cup and moving it towards her lips. 

"No!!! Don't!!!!!!", Raven cried, jumping over the table to get the cup out of her hands. 

"Blagh! He's right!", Rebecca approved, coming from the kitchen. 

"Who did it?!?!?", Karel asked, wielding his Wo Dao sword. "I smell melted blood soon…" 

"Mercy, please!!", Merlinus asked, kneeling down. "I'm no cook, but a humble merchant!!" 

"Yeah, we already know that", Hector complained, dropping his cup of tea. "We still don't know what you are doing here" 

Soon, the breakfast was over… 

*** 

"Lord Raven, may I come to know what are you doing there?", the blonde haired monk asked his friend curiously, looking oddly at him. 

Raven came from under Hector's bed, and said, 

"Nobody around?" 

"No, we are alone, my young lord" 

"Stop with that nonsense, Lucius!! I'm supposed to be a street boy and you keep on calling me 'Lord'!", he complained, almost glaring at him. "About what you asked, I'm analyzing the area, it may come in hand…" 

"You aren't saying that you… you plan to go on with your revenge?" 

"Why not? He may not be the one that caused my father's suicide and my mother's illness, but it his brother, so… almost the perfect blank" 

"But you don't know if he did it!" 

"And who would have done it then? The gardener, to blame someone?" 

"But… revenge is bad…" 

"The hell with it! I'm already spoiled" 

*** 

The day passed quite quickly, and they managed to survive without trying anything made by either Merlinus or Serra… Somewhere in the city, it's time for the first producers meeting… 

"Hi, people", Wallace got into the room, greeting Renault, his fellow producer, and Pent, the channel's programming executive (you know, the guy that analyzes which show should go in a certain hour and those things) 

"Hi", Renault greeted back, sipping his coffee. 

"Where are the others?", Pent asked, in a hurry. "I have other things to do, you know…" 

"Who's coming?" 

"Hi!", Isadora came in, and Alina came after her. "Here we are, stop worrying about us!" 

"Hi", Alina greeted, shyly. She still needed some time to be herself around new people. 

"Finally!", Pent exclaimed, fast. "Now, where's Athos?!?!?" 

"What about Louise?", Isadora asked, leaving her coat in her seat. "Isn't she coming?" 

"She wasn't feeling well…", Pent answered. "That's why I have to leave soon!!" 

"I'm here, I'm here", the Archsage replied, coming in with Rath and Heath. 

"Alright! Let's get down in the business. How did you see the show? Was it lively enough?", Pent asked all of a sudden. 

"It was entertaining", Alina replied, dropping her bag and walking to the coffee machine. "At least I had some fun… Those guys inside are really hilarious when they are together… Coffee?", she offered, facing the others. 

"No, thanks", Heath replied, courteously. "I think it was alright, at least our part. Specially with all that people around, they were really annoying. I had like two or three desperate gals shouting for Eliwood right next to my ear…" 

"I think it was ok", Isadora suggested, polishing her nails. "The challenge will come from now on, with the eliminations. We shouldn't do the same every Saturday" 

"She's right", Renault nodded. "But while Louise doesn't over act her enthusiasm, I think we are in a good path" 

"Yes! She sometimes seemed too forced… she has to be more natural" 

"I see…", Pent said, taking note of everything. "What about our contestants? How do you see them?" 

"A bunch of weirdos trapped in a Castle, without any maids", Wallace stated, laughing. 

"I just love Erk!!", Alina exclaimed, giggling. "He's so resigned to everything… and so sarcastic…" 

"I would like to know who admitted Merlinus…", Isadora asked suspiciously, looking at both Renault and Wallace, who were whistling 'innocently'. "He won't last much there…" 

"In that case, we should start looking for a replacement", Pent stated. "It would be a good move" 

"You want more rating?", Alina asked, trying to make a paper plane with an old ad. "We did pretty well for a Saturday night" 

"Anyway", he replied, looking at his watch. "We finished now. Think in good ideas for the following programs, we'll meet again on… Tuesday?" 

"That's right", Wallace approved. 

"Alright", he said, picking his coat. "See you" 

"Pent!", Alina called, dropping in the dustbin her failed attempt of plane. 

"What is it, Alina?!? I'm in a hurry!" 

"Sorry for that. But shouldn't I deliver them some mission for this week?" 

"Er… no. Just let them be as they are for this week, so the audience can have a better idea of them. Now, BYE!", he said, slamming the door. 

*** 

"Shouldn't we have had a longer meeting?", Alina asked Isadora, while she was waiting for the female producer to finish her 'make up section' at the bathroom. 

"Maybe… but it hasn't happened much, and we don't have the rating papers, so we couldn't discuss much", the blue haired girl replied, while looking for her lipstick in her purse. 

"Anyway… it was quite funny there. You should have been there" 

"I know, but I had to stay at the stage. You know, last minute issues…" 

"Hey, there were a lot of people who I didn't know! Who's that Priscilla, for example? She seemed some high class lady…" 

"She's the foster daughter of some politician… can't remember his name. Yes, they are quite well-to-do…" 

"And who's Hector?" 

"Hector?", Isadora asked, while washing her hands at the sink. "He's the brother of Marquess Ostia. Not that that has much relevance, you know that here those roles are just a 'nifty touch' for a wealthy person…" 

"Just as Juggdral", Alina added, in remembrance. 

"Yes. His brother is a lawyer. Many say that he has a bright future towards him, if it weren't for his somewhat unconventional behavior for someone of his class… even though he behaves correctly. But Hector's like the black sheep. He usually frequents places that the snobs would call 'out' or 'not proper for someone of his class'. They think he's worst than his brother. Their parents died some years ago. They were some well-known people, so that's why many people still follows their lives, as if they were some celebrities, although they aren't much older than you or me…", Isadora finished her speech, putting all her make-up in her purse. 

"So that's why Lady Louise asked him about his brother?", Alina deduced, triumphal. "Because he's at his charge, because he's not even 22 yet? _(note of the author: let's say that majority of age comes at the age of 22 in Elibe =P)_

"Exactly!", Isadora giggled, picking her bag. "Well, young lady, it's my time to leave. How do I look?", she asked her cheerfully, moving from left to right, to show her friend how she looked, so Alina could judge. 

"Woah! What a lady!", Alina joked, laughing. "Going out with some boy?" 

"Yes… Going out with my Harken!", Isadora explained, smiling and picking her things. "See you later!", she said, and then she left. 

"Some are quite lucky…", Alina mumbled in melancholy, thinking in some boy left in her homeland, and lost for her sometime ago… 

****

I have just realized that I can't write script-like... I wonder if that's good or bad (bad because I can't attract more readers, better for me because I can try to improve my writing skill, I guess?) I think that the first nomination will come in the following chapter (this one was too long to put it in here...)


	3. First Nomination

Session 3: First Nomination 

Alina came out from the bathroom, just to find her green haired friend Fiora coming to her meeting. 

"Finally, I've found you!", the eldest pegasi sister greeted her, agitated. "I thought you had already left when I saw Isadora outside. By the way, where was she going that she was so elegant?" 

Alina giggled. "She went out with Harken" 

"Now I understand!", Fiora replied, looking back over her shoulder. "I have to talk with you. How's Florina doing? Is she alright? Is she unharmed?" 

Alina looked at her puzzled, and then replied. "She's alright, Fiora, calm down. You aren't her mother, so you shouldn't worry that much…" 

"Yes, but she's at my charge here. I'm the oldest here" 

"Alright, but she's with Farina, so there's nothing to worry…" 

"Now I really fear for her, now that you mentioned it!", Fiora exclaimed, peeping at one of the TVs that were showing the action inside the Castle. Right at that moment, Karel and Bartre were looking at some bag, in the boys room. "You know how Farina is!" 

"No, I don't", Alina corrected her, picking her things from the production room. "I haven't meet her yet. I first saw her last Saturday, before she got into the Castle. What I know of her is what you or Florina told me" 

"You are right. I forgot", Fiora admitted, after recalling that moment in her mind. "Yes, you met me through Florina, and I couldn't introduce you to Farina yet", she added thoughtfully. "But she's completely irresponsible! Where was she when Wil knocked her down in the pool, uh?" 

Alina looked at her friend puzzled, again. "Wasn't it that you didn't have satellite TV? Don't tell me that you signed in to follow each one of Florina's steps?!" 

Fiora blushed, and looked in another direction, as if nothing had happened. 

"Oh, my God!", Alina cried, resigned. "You'll never stop, will you?" 

~~~ 

Back at the Castle… 

"This is boring…", Lyn complained, looking at the ceiling. "Shouldn't we have something to do?" 

"We were supposed to have a weekly activity, but… we don't", Rebecca added, resigned. 

"And what are we waiting for?", Farina asked, annoyed. "Let's think in something! I'm gonna see if any of the guys had some idea…", she added, getting up and leaving the girls dorm. 

"Woah! I can't believe that she's your sister, Florina", Rebecca said, surprised. "Or the other way round…" 

"I… uh" 

"Hey, who has to cook today?" 

"Priscilla. Why?", Lyn asked, without understanding why that change of topic. 

"I just hope she can cook something worthy to eat. I'm starving…", and with that sentence, the green haired youth's stomach 'complained'… 

~~~ 

"Nils, aren't you tired?", Ninian asked her little brother, who was jumping once and again over Bartre's bed. 

"No! This is fun!! It's better than being there without doing anything!" 

"Alright, but… won't you get too tired later?" 

"Naa! Don't worry, sis! Oopsss….", the boy's expression changed from a happy one to terror. 

"Hey, what do you think you are doing in my bed, kiddy?!?!?", Batre asked the green haired boy, very annoyed, while making his way to his bed. 

"I… er… nothing", Nils mumbled, trying to get away, but he was caught by his t-shirt collar and was now 'flying', being suspended in the air by the not so friendly owner of the bed. 

"No, please! Let him! Forgive him, please!!", Ninian begged him, looking at her soon collapsed brother. Breathing was difficult with two hands around his neck, especially if the hands are quite tough and tight. 

"Hey!!!! Let the child in the floor!!", Dorcas yelled from the door. 

"You again!", Bartre cried, dropping Nils. "Come, we'll fight now!" 

"Forget it", Dorcas said, and went on walking through the corridor. 

"It won't end like this!!", Bartre replied, picking his axe and went to the corridor, with the intention of getting Dorcas and start a fight. 

~~~ 

"Who cooked tonight?", Hector whispered to Eliwood, while Florina and Guy were setting the table and bringing the dishes. 

"Guess that it was Priscilla and Lucius turn", the red haired boy replied, grabbing his fork and knife tighter. "I just wish it tastes good…" 

"What? You didn't like my meal?!?", Hector asked him, a bit pissed off. Hector had cooked the day before with Dorcas and, although it wasn't that uneatable, it tasted as paper and looked a bit awful. 

"No… it's not that!", Eliwood defended himself, smiling nervously. 

Soon, everyone came into the kitchen, and sat down, thinking in some juicy meal, like chicken or meat… instead of that, they found out that the meal consisted in… soup. 

"S…oup?", Serra asked, sort of scandalized. 

"I just hope it tastes good…", Canas mumbled, yearning for his wife's cooking. 

Everyone left their forks and knifes and grabbed their spoons, and drank the soup… 

"It's not that bad…", Lyn judged, drinking a bit more. 

"Too salty…", Dorcas stated, and everyone turned back to face him, because he wasn't too talkative. 

"Ahh!!! Too hot!!", Rebecca complained, drinking her glass of water at light speed. 

"Hasn't enough water", Farina added, after analyzing it as if she were an expert. 

"Argh!!!! She, they, made a hard work to find something that you would like!!! And you pay her –them- like that!?!?!?!?", Raven got up from his seat highly annoyed. He made a quick movement and grabbed his sword. "Now, apologize to her –them! Right now!" 

The others shivered, surprised of his outburst, and replied at unison, "We are sorry" 

"Now, how did you came by with the idea of cooking soup in a hot day?", Sain asked Priscilla, trying to not sound impolite. 

"It was the only thing I had in the cupboard", she replied, shrugging. 

~~~ 

Later that day, Raven found Priscilla in the kitchen, drinking some tea. 

"Ah…", Priscilla smiled, leaving her tea on the table. 

"Sis…", Raven mumbled, while sitting next to her. "It's been a long time… It's a good thing that you hadn't forgotten about me" 

"I hadn't forgotten anyone, bro", she replied softly. "How are mom and dad?" 

Raven's blood froze for an instant. 

"You don't know?" 

"What?" 

"Nothing…", he replied, puzzled. "How do you feel with your surrogate family?" 

"Oh, quite well. They treat me nicely, they even consider me their own daughter…" 

"Great for you", he said, thoughtfully. "Priscilla, let's hid that we are siblings. Don't ask why, just do it" 

"Alright, if that's your wish", she said, leaning over his shoulder. "We can clear that later, when we get out of here and meet Mom and Dad…" 

"Priscilla… that can't… be", he whispered very softly, but she didn't hear his whisper… 

~~~ 

Thursday came… producers and crew meeting at the channel. 

"Hi", Alina greeted, coming into the room in haste. 

"Five minutes late, Juggdral girl", Wallace joked, making Alina blush nonetheless. 

"Alright, on to the business, now that everybody's here", Pent commanded, picking a bunch of papers from the table. 

"We did pretty well on Saturday night", Renault stated, looking at the rating scale for that day. "We can do better, though" 

"Are you kidding?", Isadora asked him, surprised. "We had almost 40 points, and you think we can do even better than that? That was too much, a very important number!" 

"Yes, Isadora, but Renault's right", Wallace agreed, giving the part-time bishop the reason. 

"And what do you propose to raise our audience?", Alina asked, skeptically. "It was our first program, we should have to wait for some more to think in any change" 

"The girls may be right", Pent commented. "Let's keep this format until the first elimination, which is next week. Now, we have to think in next week's activity for them. They are dead bored back there", he added, pointing to one of the twenty or so televisions they had in the room, each one connected with one of the cameras in the Castle. 

In one, Sain was talking to Ninian, who seemed very bored, and looking everywhere for his brother, so she could escape from him. Unfortunately for her, Nils wasn't behaving that bad, and was staying with Dorcas at the garden, who was protecting him from Bartre's attempt of revenge for having been jumping all over his bed two days before (Bartre was that bored, that he kept on thinking about that). They could also see that this time was Lyn's and Eliwood's attempt of cooking, and it wasn't going very good, as the kitchen was a mess and some water was coming from a stew, after having already reached boiling temperature some long minutes ago… Canas was harassing Erk with his magic curiosity, and Karel was right after Erk, also trying to get some revenge, because the purple haired mage made him sleep next to Lucius… Serra was driving both Florina and Rebecca crazy with her rants about the appearance of the girls dorm, while Priscilla was talking to Lucius. Hector was just sleeping, and Raven was thinking in something not so good… 

"Yes, they are more bored than what we are here", Alina commented, staring at the tv sets. 

"We have to find something good and innovative, or no one will go on watching this…", Isadora added, a bit disappointed. 

"We already suggested an idea…", Wallace said, while Renault nodded. 

"You don't mean that one was for real?", Isadora asked, skeptically. 

"Do you have another idea?", Pent asked, resigned. 

Isadora and Alina moved their heads, replying that they hadn't. 

"Well, we'll have to stick to that one", the grey haired young man sighed. 

"They'll sure be good children of Roland if they accomplish that stupid task", Athos commented, as disappointed as Isadora and Alina. 

"Well, we'll see what we can come with. We have time until Monday", Pent said. "Now, Alina, you'll have to go to the Castle and comment them about the nomination system. You go with Rath and Heath" 

"Alright", the brownish haired reported said, picking her things and leaving the room. 

*** 

"They want to make them do that as the week's activity?!?", Heath asked surprised, while he put their equipment in their equipment in their van. 

"Yes, it's so stupid, isn't it?", Alina replied, resigned. 

"Maybe we can give you some ideas; what do you think, Rath?" 

"………. Yes" 

"Alright, let's get into the van so we can arrive sooner", Heath suggested, opening his door and getting into the van. 

"Alina!!! Wait!!!", a voice called the reporter while she was getting into the van. 

Alina turned back and smiled lightly, surprised of seeing Kent running that fast to meet her. 

"Hi, Kent!", she greeted, cheerfully. "It's been quite some time!" 

"Alina, I have to talk with you", Kent said, breathing heavily. 

"I was just leaving…" 

"It's only a moment", he asked her, now talking more naturally. 

Alina looked into the van, to ask them if they could wait her a little, and Heath told her, without speaking, that there was no problem. The got a bit separated from the van and started talking. 

"What is it? You seem in a hurry…" 

"Alina, you have to take Lyn out of the contest! I can't allow anything wrong happen to her!", the crimson haired boy told her, worried. 

Alina rose an eyebrow, and let go a deep sigh. "Always Lyn", she thought, bitterly. Now that she came to think it, Kent wouldn't have any other reason to search for her, as he was always keeping an eye behind Lyn. And while Lyn didn't pay much attention to him, she did, but he was too blind to even notice that Alina looked at him differently than when she looked at other guys. It was always the same since he found them with Sain, a short while after she meet Lyn… She had just got out from the airport, when was attacked by some robbers, and then Lyn found her unconscious. She stayed some days with her, and, by some reason, they got across Kent and Sain, cavaliers at the service of Marquess Caelin and part of his personal 'army' –well, not a real army, but bodyguards, secretaries and things like that-, and found out that Lyn was the Marquess' long lost grand-daughter. Alina got to like Kent, but he was fascinated with Lyn since the single instant in which he met her, and hadn't eyes for anybody else, and that hurt her… Definitely, she hadn't good luck when boys were concerned… 

"Kent, you don't have to worry about her, she's safe…" 

"Anyway! She can't stay there much more! It's dangerous for her!", Kent cried. "You know she can't cook even a boiled egg!" 

Alina rose an eyebrow, for the 'only-God-knew-which-time' in the week. "Don't tell me that you also signed in for satellite TV to see how she was doing?" 

"No, I didn't…", Kent mumbled, but Alina knew it wasn't true… 

"Can't you live far from her?!?!", she asked him angrily. "Oh, no, you can't! You can't even be two blocks away from her! Can't you think in another life for yourself, Kent? I think you can't…", she said, getting weaker as she finished his sentence. 

Kent just stood there, sort of petrified. 

"I never believed you would say something like that, Alina", he said, making her think that he was sorry for his behavior. Instead, all her hope went straight to the dustbin. "She' my liege and it's my duty to protect her…"  
"Yeah, yeah, I already know that speech. You would like her to be something more than 'your liege', uh? C'mon, admit it! I'm not that idiot…" 

"You are wrong, Alina", Kent replied, getting a bit angry. "I just want you to make her leave soon, that's not the best place for her…" 

"If you are so worried about her, why don't **you** do something about it, instead of telling me to do it for you? Why don't you find a way to get into there, and you leave me alone and at ease!!", she yelled at him, angrily, and got into the van, slamming the door. In matter of seconds, they were in their way to the Castle, while Kent followed the little, rusty white van with his sight. 

"What's wrong with her?", he thought, surprised. "I've never seen her like that. Oh, well, I'll have to think about something…", he said, as he got into the Channel, hoping to find some other help there. 

~~~ 

"Hey, Alina, change that expression. It looks like you've been given a life-sentence", Heath told the young female reporter, as they got out from the crew only part of the Castle, where the closed TV circuit and other things like microphones and the like were installed. 

"Yes, I know", she said, depressed. "It's just that things seem to get worse at each second…" 

"You say it for Kent?", the multi-colored hair guy asked her, comprehensively. 

"He's not the only problem!", Alina complained, angrily. "Just everything! Now we have to get into there… I just hope Bartre's not murdering Nils or something like that…" 

"…… I'm staying here", Rath said, getting into the van. "We would be far too people inside. You can manage with only one cameraman" 

"Alright", Alina nodded, opening the Castle door that led to the living room. "I'm sure we are gonna surprised more than one guy. We weren't supposed to pop out until they were eliminated or got out from there" 

"You bet", Heath said, walking behind her. 

They reached the door leading to the living room, and Alina opened it a bit, but had to shut it soon, if she didn't want to get hit but some cushion. 

"They are all there, but obviously they didn't expect us", she told Heath, and opened the door quickly, from one movement. "Hey, we've come in peace!", she told them, as she picked a cushion from the floor and threw it to Farina, as some kind of revenge. 

The entire 'brave Children of Roland' group was sitting in the living room, staring at Karel and Bartre's 'fight' with Merlinus, and now they surprised, as they weren't supposed to have any other human contact but themselves for quite some time. 

"Alina, what are you doing here?", Lyn asked her, puzzled. 

"Well… we've come to check everything was alright, and to explain you the rules of nomination. We weren't supposed to come in, but there have been some little problems. Isn't that so, Heath?" 

"Oh, goodness! I'm on TV!", the odd haired guy exclaimed excited, waving at one of the ceiling cameras. "Oh, sorry? Wha… Ah, yes, there have been some problems…" 

Alina shrugged. " Excuse him. His one of our cameramen, and seems quite excited for being in front of a camera, and not behind one" 

"What kind of troubles?", Serra asked. 

"Well… the microphone system is not working properly. That's what we got for trusting Renault and Wallace…" 

"Alina…", Heath whispered to her, making her notice her little fault. 

"Wallace?", Wil asked surprised. 

"Oopss… seems I committed a little mistake…" 

"Who are those?", Priscilla asked, without understanding a word. 

"Two of the show producers", Alina explained, resigned. 

"Wallace left Caelin's army to become a TV producer?", Sain asked, astonished. "But he left it to become a farmer!" 

"He bumped into Renault and reconsidered it. Seems that being a TV producer is more profitable than being a farmer", Alina shrugged. 

"Ahh!!! Dame Alina, I beg you, take me with you!!! I want to leave this place right now!!!", Merlinus cried, kneeling in front of the puzzled brownish reddish reporter. 

"What has happened, Merlinus?", she asked, worried. 

"Those… bandits!! They've stolen my finest goods, and won't return them!!", he said, pointing to Karel and Bartre, who were whistling as if nothing had happened. 

"Oh, my God… this is some trouble", Alina replied, thoughtfully. "Are you sure you want to leave? You won't regret later?" 

"NO!!! For the thing you love most in your life, let me go" 

"Well… guess you'll have to wait till Saturday…", Alina replied, thinking in something (or someone) else. "Hey, you!", she called Karel and Bartre, quite annoyed. "What do you have to do with this man's wares?" 

"Nothing" 

"What?!?", Merlinus cried, hidden behind Alina. "You were the ones that stole my things!!" 

"You'll smell of blood if you go on talking", Karel told Merlinus softly, with his eyes narrowed. Then he turned to Alina. "And you too, if you make some kind of comment!" 

Alina swallowed heavily, and was starting to sweat. 

"Ahahaha…. Emm… The rules! Yes, I have to comment you the rules!", she said, giggling nervously and sitting in a one person sofa, looking at the whole group. "Well, anyone else wants to leave?" 

Everybody said 'no' with their heads. 

"Fine. It works like this: every fortnight, you have to nominate two people to leave the Castle. You do it through anonymous vote. Then, the audience will call and will decide who leaves the Castle. It's quite simple" 

"Just that?", Florina asked, shyly. 

"Yep. Of course, 'lobbying' isn't that forbidden, but we would like to avoid things like that… The 'Shrine Master' would have many problems while hearing your rants" 

"'Shrine Master'?", Eliwood asked. 

"Ah, well, a sort of psychologist. You'll have to wait to the following week to see what's about", Alina said, getting up. "Well, that was all for today. How are you doing?" 

"Bored!!!", Rebecca replied for everyone. 

"Oh, fair Alina, light from the outside!", Sain flattered her, making her laugh hard. "Isn't there any activity for this week, Reporter Deity?" 

"No, Sain. Lord Pent wanted you to be yourselves for this week…" 

"Pent?", Lucius asked, puzzled. 

"Alina!!", Heath nagged her, resigned. 

"Opps…" 

"I knew he was behind all this, after all!!", Erk shouted, angrily, kicking a cushion and 'hurting' Nils in the process. Everyone turned back, because they had never ever seen him that enraged. 

"Ah… Bye!", Alina greeted, before disappearing from the living room. 

~~~ 

"Eliwood, what are we going to do?!?", Hector asked his red haired friend, on Saturday's morning. It was the day of the elimination, and they hadn't decided anything yet. They passed the entire Friday arguing who should leave, and no one reached an agreement. 

"With the elimination?", he asked, as if there were any need of doing that. "I don't know…" 

"Talking about tonight's thing?", Lyn asked suddenly, coming from the girls dorm with Florina. "What about Serra?" 

"I heard you, Lyn!!!!", Serra's voice came from the end of the girls dorm, even though the door was closed. "You'll regret it!!!" 

"Seems we won't be able to get rid of her tonight", Hector stated, annoyed. 

"Get rid of whom?", Wil asked, as he walked by, but stopped his walk. "What about Raven? He's quite serious…" 

"I don't know… Karel?", Lyn asked, but stopped talking, as she saw him making a sign to her: he was moving his hand once and again across his throat. That could only mean one thing… "Better not!", she exclaimed, quickly. With that, the long haired swordmaster disappeared. 

"I got it! Lowen!", Eliwood exclaimed, happy to find someone. 

"Are you nuts!!!", Hector yelled at him, more annoyed. "He cooked yesterday, and it was the first decent meal we had since we got here!!!" 

"He's right!", Florina mumbled, in despair. "Please… don't make him leave…" 

"Talking about the elimination, guys?", Farina asked, and joined the even greater group standing at the corridor leading to their dorms. 

"Priscilla?", Hector suggested. 

"Do that and you are dead man!!", Raven yelled, drawing his sword. 

"No, please!", the red haired girl implored, getting between them. "Don't fight" 

"Fight, fight!!", Bartre started yelling, with Nils! 

"Erk! Let's get rid of Erk!", Serra exclaimed, still angry at him for his attitude towards her meal… 

"Yes, please! Kick me out", he implored. 

"No, we like him!", Lyn said, with almost all the girls approval. 

"Why hadn't you stated that you wanted to leave when Alina came?", Eliwwod asked. 

"Because Lord Pent would have made me return here, with any excuse…" 

"Dorcas…?" 

"He needs the money for his wife, we can't be that evil…" 

"Eliwood!", Bartre yelled, and everyone looked at him puzzled, except Eliwood, who glared at him. 

"Why not?", Karel asked. 

"Because… hey, I want to stay more!", the red haired boy complained. 

"I got it!", Farina yelled, freezing everybody. "Let's decide it according to our luck!" 

"How?" 

"Look at this!", she said, picking some things from her pocket and showing them to the others. 

"Sticks?", Rebecca said, disappointed. 

"You want us to pick a stick, and the ones that pick the shorter ones are out?", Hector said, with incredulity and raising an eyebrow. 

"It's the only thing we have!" 

"Well… guess it's better this than nothing…" 

~~~ 

"You are going to what?!?!?", Alina asked them amazed, when she got into the Castle to get the votes. 

"Well… it was the only thing that we could do…", Lyn said, as a sort of explanation. 

"Alright, alright. I'll tell the others about this", she said, resigned, making her way to the door. "That's what you get by doing lobby!" 

~~~ 

"They are going to what?!?!?", Athos voiced was as surprised as Alina's own when he heard about the gang's plans. He was in one of the show's commercial breaks, and he couldn't believe how he was going to handle that sudden change, as they had were announcing the imminent nomination and got a guest star to add a nifty touch to the show. 

"Yes, they said that", Alina replied resigned, playing with the public telephone's cord. 

"I have to tell you that Lord Pent is at the verge of a heart attack", the long bearded man added, worried. "Hey, you aren't calling from your cell-phone, right?" 

"No, I'm not. I'm calling from the nearest public phone. On top of everything, that", she complained, sighing. "How did you know?" 

"With all those low quality cell-phones that Renault and Wallace got us, you can't speak more than two minutes in a row" 

"Ah, I see", Alina said. "Have to cut, Archsage. Good luck there" 

"Thanks, young girl, you too" 

"Archsage, we are returning in a couple of minutes", Isadora told him, crossing the stage quickly. 

"They are quite original, aren't they?", Louise said, smiling lightly. 

"Yes. I wonder how we'll handle this… Anyway, they are truly some brave children of Roland" 

"3… 2… 1… on the air!", a voice announced, and the show's music curtain started playing. 

"We are back from our short pause!", Louise greeted the audience back, cheerfully. "We've been talking with many people, and we've seen all what our contestants made during this week. Now, it's time to go to the Castle, to see the nominations. How are you doing, Alina?" 

"Fine, thanks", Alina replied, nervously. "We are going first with the nominations, and then Merlinus will get out of the Castle, and we'll meet his replacement" 

"Alright. We've already discussed about Merlinus reasons to leave the Castle, so… let's see who are our first nominees!" 

The camera now showed all the contestants at the living room, waiting anxiously, looking at the TV that was brought to them for the two hours that lasted the Saturday show. 

"Can you hear us?", Louise's voice asked the gang. 

"Yes, everything's clear", Alina replied, now inside the Castle, and bringing the infamous sticks. 

"Alright, Children of Roland, the time has come", Athos said, and with that, one by one picked a stick… 

"Bartre… you are nominated!!", Bramimond (the guest star that came by the studio to give a hand to his old friend Athos)'s voice sentenced, coldly. 

"Hey, why me!?!?", the axe fighter asked angrily. "Who are you? Show yourself! We'll have a fight!!" 

"Hold your tongue, irreverent child of Roland! He's one of the 8 Legends!!", Athos nagged him, also angry. "Why? Because there are only two sticks as little as that one, and you got one, that's why!!" 

"Let's go on with the elimination process, dear Alina", Louise said, giggling nervously. 

"Alright, then" 

Hector, Lyn and Rebecca had some good luck. Now it was Eliwood's turn. 

"Eliwood… you are nominated!!", Bramimond's voice stated again. 

The red haired youth looked at the stick amused, and was beginning to get a bit pale… 

"How……?" 

"Hahahahaha, little Lord, you are nominated!!", Bartre laughed hard, almost insanely. 

"You too" 

"Wanna fight?" 

"Oh, we have our two nominees…", Alina said, getting between them. "We are running short of time. Merlinus, come with me, the time has come", she said, after checking her watch. 

"Finally… it's a shame I couldn't get my stolen goods back… bwawahhhh!!", the merchant said, while walking towards the Castle gates, without waving at anyone. 

"Oh, we've got two very different nominees this week", Louise stated, while the camera showed Merlinus way out of the Castle, under a rain of whistles. "One, Eliwood of Pherae; the other, Bartre, an axe fighter. Who'll stay in the Castle? Who'll leave next week? Only you can tell… Call to our 2-gold-the-minute phone lines. If you want Eliwood to leave the Castle, call to the 0-46-Eli, if you want Bartre to get out, call to the 0-46-Bar. Remember that you get in a contest for the official "Big Emblem" fan kit, which consists of: the official T-shirt, a cap and the soundtrack!", Louise announced, cheerfully. 

"We are near the end of the show", Athos announced, quickly. "We still have to meet Merlinus replacement. But that will be after our small commercial break. Stay with us, we are returning shortly!" 

~~~ 

"What? The microphones aren't working, again?", Alina asked Rath resigned. 

"… Yes. What's more, the telly doesn't work, either" 

"Oh, just wonderful… Now I see why they went to a break, leaving behind the fact that Merlinus rushed somewhere else and we can't find him…" 

"Well, we'll just have to introduce the new guy and get out of here", Heath said, shrugging. "Hey, you, new kid, come here!", he called the new member of the Castle gang. 

"What?!?!?", Alina asked, thinking she was starting to imagine things. 

Kent came out from the crew truck, carrying a suitcase with his things. Obviously, he was the replacement for Merlinus… and as she came in Isadora's car, alone, she hadn't the opportunity to meet the new participant. 

"What are you doing here, Kent, with that… bag?", she asked him, beginning her sentence angrily, but getting weaker as she spoke. 

"You told me to do something about this, hadn't you?", he asked him, with an ironic smile in his face. "Well, I heard you. Don't say I don't do that from now on, ok?" 

"Alina, they had already came out from the break. Get ready!", Heath told her. 

"Fine, I'm going", she said, puzzled. "This wasn't the way, Kent!!", she whispered to him, annoyed. 

"Thanks for the idea, anyway", he thanked her, smiling. 

"Alina, here we go!" 

"Ok!", she replied, annoyed. 

"Smile for the camera, little one", Kent whispered her, enjoying the moment. 

"Ahaha, yes", she said, faking her giggle, while she scratched his arm, furiously. 

"We can see you are with Merlinus replacement", Louise said, from the studio, already in the air. "It's a pity that Merlinus disappeared as soon as he got out" 

"Indeed, Louise. Yes, here I'm with Kent, his replacement. Tell me, Kent, what do you expect from this experience?", she asked him, acting as if nothing had happened. 

"Well… many things. It's like a vacation…", Kent lied, as he was ashamed of admitting in front of a camera his real reasons to join. "Let's say that a friend encouraged me to get into here" 

"Hahaha…. I can imagine that", Alina faked her giggle, cursing him internally. "Well… your time outside has expired. Good luck and get into there!" 

"Thanks", he said, picking his bag and walking into the Castle. 

"Well, this was all for tonight. Thanks, Alina", Athos thanked, and now the camera showed only the stage. "We'll be together in a week, with the results of the first nomination" 

"That's right, Athos", Louise agreed, smiling broadly. "See you next week, dear audience!" 

And with that, the musical curtain fall, and the show was over. 

****** 

Wiiiiiiii!! Reviews!! Thanks guys for your opinions, and please, keep posting! Sorry for that typo error (I must have been typing too fast and didn't pad attention to that). And, Zero84, you've just given me an idea (well, you gave me a solution for an idea I had in mind), so: who would like to appear as some sort of little cameo or something like that? If you are interested, leave me your character's name, a small 'behavior description' (how they would act) and who they would support/hate in a review, and I'll try my best to put them in some way in the story. 

About the nominees… I have an idea of where I am aiming… And I have some things in store for the characters I haven't introduced yet, so… keep on reading, and suggestions are welcome 

--- 

Sort of Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem or its characters (although Alina is my tactician, so she would be mine, although she's not copyrighted =P). Sort of inspiration fics: The Diary of Erk (concerning the characters reactions to each other) and The New Girl (concerning the AU thingy). And I know that it has some points in contact with two more fics (The Sims: FE style and another one I can't recall it's name) but that's just a coincidence. 

--- 


	4. First Elimination

Session 4: First... Elimination?

Kent made his way to the living room, almost shaking.

"Kent?!? What are you doing here?!?!?", Lyn shouted astonished, almost at a state of shock.

"I… well… I was chosen to get in this…", he said, smiling lightly, while leaving his bag on the floor.

"You were missing me too much, weren't you?", Sain joked, winking an eye to him, thing that made the crimson haired cavalier shudder, sort of terrified. "Hey, I was joking", he laughed hard, noticing his superior's reaction.

"Oh, well, now you are here", Lyn shrugged, resigned. "It's good to see you again"

"Hey, who's that one?", Farina asked, pointing to Rath, who came into the Castle to fix some cables and to take out the TV they had installed before so the gang could watch the show.

"Hey, I don't know, but he's cute!", Serra said, walking next to him. "Hey, you! What's your name? Are you a new member?"

Rath looked at her, then he went on walking.

"……… No", he said, carrying the TV.

"What? You are called 'No'?", she kept on insisting, while all the other girls, with the exceptions of Lyn –who was discussing with Kent- and Florina, who was feeling too shy to go after Rath- were walking behind Serra, so they could also see the strange, new guy.

"My name's Rath… Good-bye", he said, before disappearing with the TV.

"Hey, wait!", the girls shouted, by the door was already locked.

"What has happened?", Lyn asked, after hearing all that noise.

"What? You didn't see that cute catch?!?", Serra asked, scandalized. "You should pay more attention to your surroundings, Lyn, or you'll never get a boyfriend".

"I wish they were after me like that!!", Sain said, before hiding his head in Wil's shoulder, who was quite surprised of the green-clad man's behavior.

"He was so cute…", Rebecca sighed, starry-eyed, while Priscilla nodded with her head, almost with the same expression, thing that Raven took into account mentally…

"Food's ready!", Lowen called, from the kitchen, and in almost no time, everyone was sit, waiting for the meal…

Monday morning, "Producer's Headquarters" (a.k.a. "the channel")

"Last Saturday's emission was a complete success!", Isadora exclaimed, hugging the 'rating table' tight against her chest. "We got much more than what we expected!"

"Anyway, it's too low", Renault objected, playing with a pen, his feet over the table.

Isadora glared at him, highly annoyed.

"But what are you expecting from this?", Alina asked, letting go a deep sigh. "What do you want to do to raise that 'low rating' of yours?"

"We are still thinking in that", Wallace replied, while looking at a magazine without many enthusiasm.

"I just wonder who let Kent join the crew…", Alina said suspiciously, staring at Wallace while she spoke. The mentioned producer just stayed where he was, whistling innocently.

"Anyway, we have time to think in that matter", Pent said, looking at his watch with haste. He was quite in a hurry, so he wanted to finish the meeting as soon as possible, because Louise wasn't feeling well again. He didn't know which one would be his excuse now to get out of there… "About this week's activity, in what had you thought?"

"We already proposed something", Wallace said, now making a paper airplane with parts of the magazine. Renault just nodded solemnly, giving the reason to his friend.

"You've got to be joking!", Isadora sighed annoyed, just thinking in that absurd idea. "Do you want them to kill Alina when she tells them the activity?"

The mentioned reporter swallowed hardly, thinking in Karel going just straight to her neck with that sword, after listening to the activity.

"That would give us more rating; what do you think Renault?", Wallace asked, coldly.

The part-time bishop nodded, making the young brownish-reddish reporter shiver.

"Enough!", Pent moderated, tired of the discussion. "What do you propose, Isadora?"

"Well, they could try to maintain a farm"

"Ha, instead of "Orson's Farm", "Emblem's Farm"!", Wallace moaned ironically, and started laughing, but shut up when he noticed that everyone (including Renault) was staring oddly at him. "What? Don't you remember that cartoon?"

"Guess he kept on watching the 'retro channel' too much", Isadora sighed, tired.

"Well, Isadora, it's a good idea, but we need more time to make it a reality", Pent objected, much to his disappointment. "Well, I guess we'll have to stick with Renault and Wallace's idea for this week", he said, sighing bitterly.

Isadora and Alina looked at each other, sort of depressed, while the other two producers were celebrating their 'victory'.

"Now, Alina, go and tell them what they have to do", Pent said, picking his things, and getting ready to go.

"Me?!?!?", she asked, terrified. The only idea of having to tell them the activity, and Karel and Bartre there, gave her the creeps.

"And who else? You are the reporter, after all"

"And what about the microphones? Aren't they working?"

"Nope, and it costs more to have it mend than buying new ones"

"So this means there won't be any microphones?"  
"There's only one working, but it's at the Shrine, so we can't move it", Wallace objected, while he was throwing his paper plane to Renault and vice-versa. "Bad luck, Juggdral girl"

Alina glared at the bald man. After all, it was her the one who had to face the others, not him.  
"Alright, alright, I'm going", she said, picking her bag and her coat. "But it'll be better if we come with better ideas in the future, or I'll resign", she menaced, slamming the door right after she walked out of the room.

"She sure is in a bad mood today", Renault commented, staring at the paper plane. "It's the first time she slams the door"

"You two can turn a dead man in a bad mood", Isadora replied, annoyed, while leaving the room.

"And why do they blame us?"

"Ah, don't worry. They are newbies in this field", Wallace told him, making another plane.

"Well, we have arrived", Heath said, turning off the old van's engine.

Alina leaned her head against her seat, showing her frustration.

"Hey, come on, it's just a second: you get in, say what you have to, and then you leave"

The brownish-reddish girl got up, and looked at the two cameramen.

"You aren't going to let me enter alone, are you?"

Heath shrugged, and Rath looked somewhere else.

"Hey, please! I don't have the strength to carry that big box all by myself!", she asked, at the verge of tears. It was a bad week for her, and she was about to explode at anytime.

"If I enter there, the women there won't let me go", Rath said, coldly. "Sorry, but I'll pass this time"

Heath sighed.

"Guess I'll go", he said, opening his door.

"Thanks", Alina thanked the odd-haired boy, as she got off the van, too.

In ten minutes, more or less, they were inside the Castle.

"Hi, Ally", Lyn greeted, leaving the sofa, where she was lying until she saw Alina coming, while Heath went to another room. Apart from Lyn, Florina and Rebecca were also in the living room, and a bit further, Erk's head could be seen, coming from the kitchen, where he was cooking, much to his disappointment.

"Hi, girls", Alina greeted back. Her tone of voice showed a lot of resignation, which was what she was feeling at that time.

"Something's wrong?"

"No", the reporter said, leaning against the table. "I came to give you your activity. Could someone call the others?"

"I'm going", Rebecca said, running to the stairs.

In five minutes, everyone was gathered there.

"Well, hello everybody", Alina greeted the others, trying to look enthusiastic and okay. "I have this week's activity. It ain't very good but… this is what we got"

"What is it?", many asked, curious.

"Well…", Alina began, gathering all her courage. "See those in-door bikes in the other room?", she said, pointing to an open door, from where Heath was coming out, "Well, you'll have to ride those bikes, dressed up in winter clothes like this ones (she showed a suit that could be used to go to the North Pole as she said that). You'll go I pairs, so when one's tired, the other rides while relaxing, and it'll be a non-stop activity, so you would have to be riding from today 'til Saturday evening", she said, resigned.

The gang looked at each other, annoyed.

"That's the best thing you could come across?", Sain complained.

"Yeah, he's right!", Farina joined, annoyed. "I would prefer to go out in a date with him instead of doing that"

Sain's eyes shone lively.  
"So you would go out with me, after all?", he said, blinking fast.

"Aghhh!! Get out of here!", the pegasus sister said, with her best face of disgust.

Many couldn't resist laughing at that scene.

"But… are you serious, Alina?", Eliwwod asking, not wanting to believe those words.

The brownish-reddish girl nodded, saddened.

"We are preparing things for next week's activity, which will be much better, I promise", she said, thinking how she could ran away from there, before Bartre or Karel thought in saying something.

And her fear was about to become a reality. Karel stand up, and started walking slowly to her. In less than a second, she was running to the van, followed by Heath…

__

"This is dead boring", Lyn complained while riding the fixed bike, wearing a polar like pair of trousers and a huge, furred inside jacket. With those clothes, she could even survive if she had the bad luck of visiting Ilia in the middle of a snowstorm… "If I had known this thing was going to be like this, I wouldn't have applied"

"Me neither", Rebecca replied, checking her watch. "Half an hour to go, Lyn"

"What?!?!?", the green haired Sacaen girl exclaimed, amused. She was already sweating badly, so how would she tolerate another thirty minutes in that damned bike?

"Hey, I can do anything about it!"

"I know, it's that… I hate whoever had this idea!"

"Well, at least, it's something else than waiting the dinner…"

"I would really prefer having a swim right now…"

"But this is what we got…"

"Yeah…", Lyn sighed, resigned. "I just wonder what's Florina doing right now…"  
"Don't worry. She can take care of herself alone, you know…"

"Yes… I shouldn't worry that much"

"What am I to do now?", the light purple pegasus sister thought, as she was walking along the dorms corridor. Just then, a few meters ahead, Hector came out from the boys dorm.

"Ah… he's there…", she thought, and started walking in his direction. He was walking in the same direction she was, only that he was quite ahead.

"I should hurry…"

Raven knelt down, put something in the floor and hid in the girls' room, so he could see what was going to happen in almost no time. Much to his bad luck, Serra was inside, with Priscilla and Farina.

"Hey! What are you doing here?!?!? Close the door!", Serra yelled at him, as soon as she saw him.

He turned back and made her signals to shut up. Obviously, Serra didn't pay attention to that and went on shouting.

"Hey, why are you here!? Why are you looking at the corridor so anxiously? What's that yellow thing in the floor?", the pink haired cleric asked at light-speed, almost turning the reddish haired boy crazy all of a sudden.

"Get out of here!", he just replied, once he pushed her backwards to get rid of her.

Back in the corridor, Hector was about to walk pass that room, and eventually he would step on the banana skin…

"I… uh", a soft voice came from behind, but he went on walking.

"I… mm…", the same voice, now louder repeated.

This time Hector looked back, but saw nobody around.

"I… AIEEEEeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!", the voice started gently, but turned into a painful scream, as Florina stepped in the banana peel and was now sliding through the corridor.

"Hey, what the Hell!?!?!", Hector cursed, as he didn't see anyone around him. "I'm imagining things; that's what I get for having joined this. Why I didn't do like my brother and started studying Law or something like that?", he wondered for himself, as he kept on walking. But this time, Florina was already laying in one of the living room's sofa, while Ninian aided her.

"Crap!", Raven mumbled, highly pissed off, and hitting the ground with his fist. He stood up, and left the girl's room quickly, just to find Lucius in the corridor.

"So you are still thinking in revenge, Lord Ray… Raven"

"None of your business!", the red-haired youth replied, walking past the monk.

Karel raised an eyebrow, extremely pissed off.

"I'm not gonna do that stupid thing, you hear me?", he menaced to no one in particular, when he heard that it was his turn to get into the 'exercise room' with Serra. "If I joined this, was to look for worthy opponents, not to ride a fixed bike!!!"

Everyone looked at each other, puzzled.

"I won't do that, neither!", Serra protested, acting offended. "A fine lady like myself is up to more important things than this one!"

"I was talking!!", Karel shouted at her, more annoyed than before. "So shut up or you'll smell like blood in a blink!!!"

"Oh, yes? Let's see if you dare!!", she said, picking her staff and hitting him with it several times.

"That doesn't hurt a bit, girlie!!"

"That's it!", Bartre yelled, out of the nothing. "Fight!!!"

Many looked at each other, some enthusiastically, others bored, and others puzzled.

"That's it!", Hector said, as his eyes shone lively and enthusiastically. "Let's make a tournament!"

Karel stopped pursuing Serra, interested by that.

"Seems like you are the only Lord with bright ideas! Let's do that!"

"Yeah! We still have some of Merlinus things here that can work out as prizes!", Bartre suggested, showing a bag full of golden things proudly.

"So the man was right, after all…", Farina sighed, resigned. "It's a pity I hadn't found it first, as it would have been a good thing to compensate my days out of the business…"

"Alright! It's an 'everyone-against-everyone' fight! No one is excepted!", Karel started making up the rules, but Priscilla's soft voice interrupted him.

"But… I can't fight…"

"You are in, anyway!"

"Don't dare touch her!!!!", Raven yelled, while he descended over Karel.

"Hey, you! You'll pay!"

"Hey, wait a sec… ouch!!", Eliwood tried to mediate, but got knocked over by the two swordmen, for getting in their fight.

"Alright, so this one's our new activity!", Bartre yelled, like starting the tournament.

"This hurts…", Eliwood complained, trying to sound alright.

Lyn had just placed a little bit of some cold cream over Eliwood's bruises, all along his left arm. He was making a huge effort to look strong.

"The hits or the cream?", the Sacaen girl chuckled, noticing his behavior.

"The hits", he replied, sighing. "I hadn't expected them top hit me at the same time!"

"That's what you got for trying to be the leader!", Lyn exclaimed, putting more cream, this time in his neck. "And you hadn't entered the fight yet, and I doubt you'll will for a little bit"

"No fair. How are they doing?"

"Wait a sec…". She got near the door and looked to the corridor, stretching her neck. "Well, Hector's more than happy, being involved in a fight… Florina tries to escape and get her pegasi, while her sister defends herself punching the guys with the… floor lamp. Karel and Bartre are working as a team, and Serra's striking everyone with the side of her staff that has no healing magic. Ninian is… somewhere out of there, but Nils is kicking some… rear parts. Right now, Bartre picked him, but… Sain's going to his rescue! He must want to impress Ninian, surely…"

"Hey, you can go, I can take care of this", Eliwood told her, melancholic. He wanted to be there so much, at least to watch everyone…

"Hey, everything's alright! Come on, give me your right arm"

Eliwood did what she asked, and she placed some cream in his arm. Silently, she moved her hand slowly, so the cream would have a better effect. Eliwood looked at her as she did that. It wasn't long enough until she rose her head and meet with his eyes.

"What?", she asked, shyly.

"Nothing", he said.

"Lady Lyndis, Lady Lyn…dis"

The two youths turned back, just to find Kent standing in the room, next to the door. He must have called her while he walked fast through the corridor, and they hadn't any time to stop looking at each other before he came in.

"What's wrong, Kent?", Lyn asked him, sweetly.

"I thought you… needed someone, as I saw you looking to where the others are…"

"I'm fine thanks. But how many times had I told you not to call me 'Lady Lyndis'? Lyn's just fine"

"As you wish, Lad… Lyn"

"Let's go with the others", she suggested, and left the room, followed by the two red haired youths.

"Go, Go, Eliwood!!!!!!!", Alina shouted and jumped, right in the middle of a producer's reunion.

"What's wrong with you?!?!?", Wallace asked, irritated. He didn't like to be interrupted when he was talking, especially when he was trying to convince Pent to buy other animals for the upcoming farm, and not using his; although he wasn't a full-time farmer, he wanted to keep them, as it was his anti-stress therapy to look after them.

"Hadn't you seen that????", the brownish-reddish girl, asked, enthusiastically. "Lyn and Eliwood were really closed, until Kent came in, but he saw them really close to each other!!!! That's wonderful!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"What? You are an Eliwood fan?", Renaul asked, as distracted as he always was.

Alina made a sign of disgust, while Isadora laughed with all her strength.

"At least I'm not that obvious", Alina said, as a sign of relief.

"You aren't obvious, you say!? Now everyone knows you like Kent, my dear", Wallace said, ironically, making the young reporter feel a bit down.

"Enough!!", Pent shouted, tired. "Alina, go and find the Shrine Master. The first 'Shrine session' is tomorrow"

"'kay", she replied, omitting the 'o' of okay, and leaving the room.

"It has to be here…", Eliwood thought, opening the furthest door in the corridor. Alina had come before and told him and Bartre that they were going to have a shrine session with the 'shrine master', before they left the Castle, so they could think about their actions since they got into that building. Unfortunately, she couldn't explain much, because Karel decided that it was time for the second round of their tournament, and she flew away before someone stroke her, by accident or in purpose.

He got in, and found a small room, with blue walls and a big, comfortable black sofa in the middle. A voice greeted him.

"Hi, Eliwood. Sit down, we have to talk"

"Hi", he greeted back, awkwardly. He thought that he had heard that voice before, but he told himself that his nerves were the ones to blame.

"Well, how are you doing?"

"Well, fine, I guess. It's a nice place, the people here is interesting enough… I would like to stay longer…"

"Ah, I see… Do you help the ladies with their chores?"

"Er… yes"

"Do you have a good relationship with the other guys?"

"Let's say that yes"

"Anyone you hate?"

Eliwood thought for a while, then he said, "Nope… not yet"

"Do you miss anyone outside? Mommy, Daddy?"

"Hey, that's personal! I mean, it's too soon!"

"Alright, calm down. Do you clean your teeth before going to sleep?"  
"Hey, what does this mean???? Who sent you?!?!?!"

"Alright, sorry, I went too far. The last question: is there any girl you like, someone you would like to be your girlfriend? In that case, you have my entire support, and if not, tell me, that I'll make sure you'll find someone worthy for you!!!"

Eliwood's eyes opened wide, showing some terror. Now everything had a meaning!

"Aaaaaahhhhh!!!!! Marcus!!!!!!!! What are you doing here!?!?!?!?"

"Ooppss… was I so obvious?", the knight asked, really surprised.

"This can't be true!!!", the red haired youth yelled, leaving the room, slamming the door behind him…

"Eliwood! What's the matter?!?!", Lyn asked surprised, after he almost knocked her over in the corridor.

"No… nothing! Call Bartre, it's his turn to get into there!"

And he went on running, while Lyn and Ninian, her companion, shrugged.

Friday evening. Producer's reunion: let's see who stays and who leaves…

"How are you doing with the inventory of votes, girls?", Pent asked Alina and Isadora, as soon as he came into the room, with Louise and Athos.

"We aren't going any further", Isadora replied, leaning against her chair. "Nobody is voting here, but asking us to let them stay longer!"

"What? That's too odd. What about you?", he asked, this time to Wallace and Renault.

"The same"

"Eliwood's fan club says that we have to leave him where he is, that he's a key part of the show. This message from a Bartre fan says that 'blood will reach the river' if we dare to kick him out of the Castle", Alina said, shivering at the only thought of a sword next to her neck…

"But no one voted?"

"No. We have hundreds of calls, but no votes"

"But this is… impossible! What are we going to do tomorrow night?!?!?", Pent cried, nervously.

"Buy some pizza?", Wallace suggested.

The rest of the people there turned back to glare at him…

"Look! Bartre's about to destroy the shrine!!", Renault yelled, pointing at one of the TV sets, saving his friend's and producer fellow's life.

Indeed, Bartre was about to tear apart a wall, if it weren't for the others, who heard some strange shouts at the back of the Castle, where the Shrine is. Now, Dorcas and Hector were grabbing him from his arms, and leading him out of the room, as he shouted something like 'Come out, chicken, we'll have a fight"

"Oh, great", Louise sighed, followed by everyone else.

"Guess you'll tell me to go to the Castle right away. Marcus must have a heart attack by now", Alina said, trying to cheer them up, while leaving the room, before shouting Heath and Rath's names while walking along the corridor.

Just then, she noticed one of the guys from the cleaning service peeping into a room. She started walking to his direction. It was a light purple, long haired man, with a scar crossing his left eye. She could tell he was a 'cleaning guy' because he was wearing the orange uniform the other 'cleaning guys' wore, but it was suspicious to her.

"What's the matter, Alina?", Heath's voice called her from behind, scaring her a bit. He and Rath were standing, with their arms crossed over their chests, looking a bit pissed off.

She turned back, and replied, "We've to return to the Castle"

"Well, let's get going", Rath said, speaking fluidly for the first time.

Heath and Alina looked at each other, puzzled.

"Oh, I see. You prefer this one:………", Rath said, before exiting the building.

"No, it's not like that!!", Heath started yelling, as they walked behind him, hurrying to the exit.

Before leaving, Alina looked over her shoulder once again, but that 'cleaning guy' had disappeared. 

"Welcome again to Big Emblem!!", Louise greeted back the audience, under a huge round of applause. "We are in our last segment, the most important of the show! In some minutes we'll know what will happen to our first nominees, Eliwood and Bartre!"

"I guess we have already chatted much about their behavior in the last week, and we have already talked with their relatives (as Athos said this, the camera showed Elbert and Eleanora smiling at waving at the camera), so I guess we have nothing more to discuss", Athos began. "Yet, they hadn't earned any points, as they didn't acomplish their week task, for much idiotic it was"

"Yes, it's a pity, and it's embarrassing to think that they stole some of Merlinus finest goods, after all", Louise agreed, saddened, but that sadness lasted nothing, as she went on enthusiastically. "Let's go with our girl in the place of the action. Goodnight, Alina!!"

"Hi, Louise; Hello, Lord Athos!", the brownish-reddish reporter greeted back, trying to smile broadly. She was standing in the Castle's living room, where all the gang was sitting, waiting for the answer. Eliwood was biting his nails hardly, and everyone could tell that one finger was already bleeding…

"Well, the time has come", Alina said, facing the guys this time, but leaving in a table the envelope she had had until then in her hand. She put his hands in the border of the table and leaned back.

"There is no elimination today", she said, abruptly. "No one voted"

Everyone was puzzled by that statement.

"I mean, they called, but they didn't vote. Some of the messages were death threats against your lives or ours, the crew lives, some were "I love/hate Eliwood/Bartre" calls, and that's all. Oh, Eli, you now have a fan club out there, but Bartre isn't much far from getting one, I have to say. With that perspective, and due to the fact that you hadn't accomplished the task given, no one's leaving. Else, we would have to kick everyone out of here, for not obeying the rules"

The gang looked surprised, and the girls smiled broadly, for some reason.

"Wow, that was impressive!", Louise exclaimed, trying to look really amazed. "What will happen to the current system of voting, then, Alina?"

Alina shrugged. "I guess we will have to wait another nomination. If things go on like this, we'll have to implement a 'points system': the one with fewer points is the looser, and the other way round"

Right behind her, Bartre was celebrating at his own way, kicking Nils over the airs and having a duel with his 'great pal Karel', while Eliwood was trying to remain calm, while jumping all over the place.

"Guess everyone's happy there", Athos commented, smiling lightly. "Alina, see you next week"

"See you next week, Lord Athos, Lady Louise"

And with that, after the hosts brief analysis and good-bye words, the show was over for this week…

Hi!!! Had you missed this one? =P Sorry, exams in the middle, and now I have some upcoming ones, so I can't tell when I'll update this one. Please, read and review!

And if you want to have a little 'cameo appearance', please leave your character's data (and your name) in a review, with the data I asked in last chapter.

Alright, see you!


	5. A new opponent in the rating battle

Session 5: A new opponent in the rating battle

"What does this mean?", Alina asked surprised, right after getting in the channel's building. Lots of animals –farm animals- were scattered along the building. Right in her feet, a pretty, cute white rabbit was sitting. Without thinking it twice, the young reporter picked it up and carried it, holding it in her arms.

"This?", Heath asked annoyed, grabbing a hen. "I have no idea, but now Pent's furious and told us to gather them all somewhere…"

"Does it mean that I have to return you this little rabbit?"

"Oh, keep it if you want! You can return it later!"

"Thanks!", the young girl said, smiling with her eyes closed, and walking to the producer's room.

The atmosphere wasn't much friendlier there.

"Ah, good day, Alina!", Pent greetd her, but changed his tone of voice soon. "That rabbit is real or I'm already seeing animals everywhere!?!?"

"Flesh and bone, boss", she said, shyly.

"Hey, wait a minute… that's Paco!! Return it to me right now, robber!!", Wallace cried, scaring Alina a bit.

The reporter released the cute animal, which run to Wallace's arms. It was then when Alina noticed that the bald producer was teary-eyed. An image that she hadn't thought in seeing sometime.

"What happened?"

"Well, we are going to put the farm as an activity, and we brought Wallace's animals, but someone opened the cages, and no there are animals all over the place", Pent explained, sighing bitterly.

"Ah… I see"

"Ah, put that thing away, take it away, please!!", a familiar voice yelled through the corridor. Right then, the door opened, an Isadora came in, terrified. She tried to close the door soon, but a cow's head (and Rath behind it, making his best to pull it behind) appeared before she could close it. With Renault and Pent's help from the inside, and Rath's efforts from the outside, the could close the door.

"Isa! What happened!??", Alina asked her, carrying a glass of water for her fallen friend, who was laying in a chair.

"I… I just hate cows! They give me the creeps!", the blue haired producer said, sipping some water.

"That one… she's so peaceful! Poor Madelyn!", Wallace stated, sobbing.

Everyone looked at each other puzzled, until Alina took note of something.

"You called that cow after Lyn's mother!?!?!?", she asked, scandalized.

"You should see her eyes. They are as expressive as Lady Madelyn's were"

"Enough!!!", Pent cried, sick of all those animals inside the building. "Alina, go and help Heath and Rath, so you can go to the Castle as soon as possible and leave them there"

"Can I keep that rabbit?", she asked, pointing to 'Paco'.

"Do as you wish!", Pent exclaimed, annoyed.

"Tee-hee! Thanks!", she said, grabbing the rabbit and leaving the room.

"Wait, she took my rabbit!!", Wallace cried, for the unknown time in the morning.

"Alina! What does all that fuss at the park mean?", Hector asked annoyed as soon as he noticed the young reporter inside the Castle.

"Ah, your next activity", she just replied, busy looking at some time-table chart. "Can you call the others?"

"Great. Hi, everybody", she greeted when the gang was reunited in the living-room. "I have this week's activity, which is extraordinary compared to the previous one", she introduced, enthusiastically. "Have you seen all that fuss at the garden? Well, you are going to have a farm"

"What?"

"A farm", she repeated, grinning. "You'll have to take care of the animals, and I would highly recommend you to avoid some dangerous ideas like killing any animal or something like that. Wallace is already at the verge of depression, and Pent's quite nervous lately"

"But… how are we going to manage with that?", Priscilla asked, astonished.

"That's the funny thing to watch", Alina grinned, arching her eyebrows.

"Ah, very funny", Eliwood protested, annoyed.

"Well, time to leave. See you!", the reporter waved and disappeared through the door.

First contact with the farm… the gang walked into the garden, just to notice the once beautiful, 'virgin' garden turned into a mess with animals everywhere. A bunch of ducks were in the swimming pool, a small stable had been built in one of the corners, and a big, black cow was grassing next to the pool…

"Yuck… And is there an extra payment for messing with this… things?", Farina asked, disgusted. The animal scent under the sun wasn't helping much…

"I think that I would have done better if I had quitted", Eliwood sighed, deeply.

"Ahh, look at this!!", Serra called the others from a stable. She was now wearing a big farmer-like hat (you know, those big, straw hats), waving at them. "I always wanted to be a farmer for a second!"

"Send her with the hens, she'll find herself at home with them", Erk mumbled, returning to the Castle.

"What are we going to do here?", Lyn asked in despair, followed by the others in a deep sigh.

Tuesday morning. "Producer's Headquarters". Wallace is sitting in a chair, with his feet on the table, looking at a gossip magazine. Renault is also here, following a fly's route with his eyes.

The door opens, and Pent and Alina come in, discussing some business issue.

"But Lord… I mean, Pent, wouldn't that be great?"

"Alina, how many times had I told you to stop addressing me like that?!?", he closed the door, sighing. "One thing is shyness and the other is torturing the others with those titles…"

"I'm sorry", she apologized, sitting down in one of the chairs.

"I see you are having great fun, you too", Pent remarked, referring to the other two people in the room, hanging his coat.

"Yeah, you can bet that", Wallace said, without any interest. "Hey, look! Lord Uther is returning from his long stay in Akanea… This is going to be great fun. I would like to see his face when he finds out that his brother is in a reality-show", he chuckled, peeping at the article.

"Is there a photograph of him?", Alina asked, taking out a notebook from her bag.

"Yes"

"Let me see!", she asked, almost jumping at the magazine. But Wallace wasn't going to let her view it.

"Why are you so curious? He's just a guy", he said, moving the magazine from left to right so she wouldn't catch it.

"Oh, don't be so childish! What's the matter with me reading that?", the young reporter complained, swinging from a side to the other, trying to catch the magazine without success.

"That you are very curious"

"But I want to see the royal people of this continent! Excluding Lyn, Pent and Louise, Eliwood and Hector, I don't recognize any important figure"

"You'll have to wait more"

"Oh, come on!"

"Can you cut it off? You are worst than little children!!", Pent cried, swallowing an aspirin. He was having a tough week, and this wasn't helping anything…

"Oh, HELL!! Switch on the TV, quickly!!!", Isadora yelled at the corridor, and came into the room at lightspeed, with real bad humor. It wasn't something nice to see…

"What happened?", Renault asked, bored.

"Switch on channel 6, right now!!", she cried, trying to calm herself down.

Wallace did as she said, and what they found didn't surprise them… at first.

The current show was returning from a commercial break. Suddenly, the lights were switched on all of a sudden, revealing a semi-circle table with five people around it. While the camera was getting nearer those people, the show's name appeared on screen, in delicate, golden letters: "The Darkest Truth"

A strange man, dressed in black robes and with a turban on his head, covering one of his eyes, welcomed the audience again.

"Welcome back, guests", Nergal said, lively. "We are in our final block, and we are going to fulfill our promise. What's behind that show, 'Big Emblem'? Is it just a mere reality-show? It is just a coincidence that the three young upcoming Lords and Lady of Lycia are on it? Are they really as they show themselves in that Castle?"

"It can't be…", Alina whispered, astonished.

"Chisst!!", Wallace silenced her, impatiently.

"I've been told we have some great documents here to get to the truth, as dark as it is", Nergal went on. "Isn't it like that, Sonia?"

"Indeed, Master", the pale skinned, low-necked panelist agreed, with her characteristic superiority. "We've found many interesting data on all the participants, and even the people who works behind the stage. It's really interesting"

"I have a message from Lord Nergal, I have a message from Lord Nergal…", Denning started chanting.

"Yes, I know, dear Denning", Nergal interrupted him, sort of nervously. "That means we have a tape about the topic. Let's see it, Mr. Director"

The tape started playing.

"What lies behind the contestants of Big Emblem, the most popular show in the TV, with a real hot rating? Are they really as they show themselves? We, at 'The Darkest Truth' have the answer.

Do you think that Dorcas is a simple person? You couldn't be that wrong. He had had many troubles with Law before, and even joined a band of thieves, killing and damaging people all the way he went.

Serra, that nice, poor little cleric is a real devil, despite she's a cleric. She has been kicked out of several St. Elimine's Temples, and she holds the Lycian record of 'complaints in a minute'.

Canas… that apparent shy guy, a real mystery himself is nothing of all that. In fact, he joined to run away from his wife and both her mother and his…"

With that, the tape was over, and the camera returned to the studio.

"Impressive. What do you think, Limstella?", Nergal asked, now facing another pale skinned, dark-haired woman.

"A wonderful quintessence…", the woman replied, mechanically.

"Ah, yes, a wonderful work of our people…", Nergal said quickly. "But that's not all, and we'll have many entries of this subject. There are many mistakes to solve. For example, who's that reporter girl? How did she end up there? Family connections? A favor to someone?"

"What the hell do you mean by that!?!?!?!?!", Alina burst, her fist tightened against the TV screen.

"Alina, calm down…", Pent mumbled.

The girl turned back, and noticed everyone staring oddly at her.

"Sorry", she mumbled, sitting down again.

"And who are the other contestants? What lies behind their appearances? Stay with us in the following programs and switch on the TV at the usual time at LBC to find out. We'll go straight to the truth, no matter how dark it is. This was all for this evening. We were Limstella (the camera switches to the mentioned person), Denning, Sonia and I, Nergal, your host. See you tomorrow"

With that, the lights switch off slowly, while credits roll…

Everyone back at the channel sighed.

"And? What can you tell me?", Isadora said, making a cup of coffee for herself. "Anyone wants coffee?"

"I guess I have whisky at my desktop", Pent said, leaning in his chair, as if the floor was swallowing him.

"He will have to start praying for his life, for if I ever find him, he'll meet a real angered lady", Alina said, solemnly.

"I suggest we go for the whisky", Wallace said, dropping the magazine behind.

"I completely agree with that", Renault joined, still amused by the news.

"We have to see how they got that data, which is not 100% right", Pent stated, depressed.

"They are just a yellow show. We shouldn't care that much", Wallace said, but he was interrupted by Alina.

"Just tell me how they got data about me? Uh? You can be the following one, you know!"

"In that case, he's dead man! I would strike him down and then…"

"ENOUGH!!!", Pent cried, freezing everyone. "I already have a headache, and you too are arguing since I put a foot in this room!! I'm sick of you! Alina, Isadora, go and try to gather some more information. You'll give it to me tomorrow. I'm off for today! My head's collapsing!!", he said, picking his coat and slamming the door when he closed it.

The rest looked at each other puzzled, but the girls run away from the room quickly, so if Lord Pent decided to return, they wouldn't be there.

Wednesday afternoon, Big Emblem's Castle. Everyone's at the park, doing some trivial activity.

"Psst! Hector!! Lord Hector, over here", a voice called.

Hector turned back and saw a familiar figure, although he started laughing before he could greet him back.

"Matthew, what are you doing here… with a suit?", he asked between his laughter.

The boy glared at him, but anyway he climbed the wall and got into the castle.

"I have just arrived from Akanea and I decided to pay you a visit… and to tell you that Uther is just mad at you. I'd suggest you to stay here as much as possible if you don't want to see him angry. You know how he reacts when he's really pissed off…"

"Yeah, ok, but I'm already here and he can't do anything to kick me out"

"He can talk with Pent, you know…"

"Anyway, I don't care about that. How is everyone doing?"

"Oh, fine. Leila is alright, Oswin too, I'm doing normal…. Your brother was doing fine until he learnt about all this. But apart from that, everything's fine"

"And what are you doing with that suit?"

"Ah, yes, my suit", Matthew said, looking at his grayish suit. "You know that your brother expects us to dress smart when we are around… even if I'm just the office boy", he said, resigned.

"What you have to cope with… Hey, why don't you stay here? We are a bit bored lately"

"I don't know…", the former thief hesitated.

"Take a look at this, we do nothing all day", he said, staring at the park.

In fact, nobody was doing anything interesting. Lyn was swimming at the pool, trying to surpass her own swimming record; Farina, Priscilla and Rebecca were laying near the pool, sunbathing, and Sain was just next to them, flattering then and trying to get a date; Ninian was just sitting near the pool, with her feet on it, taking Lyn's time; Lowen was searching for the best chicken eggs he could find for their lunch, which consisted of omelets; Nils was playing the "Elibian flautist", guiding sheep with his harmonica. Matthew noticed that Florina was near them, but then she fled to the stable, where Erk hide to study magic at ease, but Canas popped out from nowhere and was now torturing him, comparing their magic. He also noticed a rather suspicious individual, Raven, clutched against a pack of grass, looking menacingly at Hector. He figured he was about to throw him something from his hideout, but Lucius was next to the red haired youth, whining him not to do something. Kent was just wandering around, but he seemed to have a fixed eye at the pool… Eliwood now joined Lyn, and the two of them were running races, trying to see who was the fastest. Dorcas was learning a booklet on farming, and Karel and Bartre were having their tournament at one point of the park. Right now, the central match was taking place, but no one was playing attention to them, so they were fighting alone.

Matthew stared at the place for a while.

"This is paradise", he said, in a sigh. "Alright! But let me finish a business I have pending…"

"What? Asking Leila to marry you?"

The office boy smiled mysteriously. "Maybe after this… Why not?"

He climbed the wall once again and then he left for his boss' office, to finish that business…

Another emission of "The Darkest Truth" finished. With this, none of the contestants was safe. They even claimed to have some odd videos of Ninian and Nils, who seemed the most pacific ones.

Pent dropped himself on his chair.

"What had you found about those people?", he asked, taking another aspirin, the tenth in three days…

"Well, originally, 'The Darkest Truth' was an investigation program, which denunciated many corrupt events or things that went against people's will, especially in Bern. But since last year, it turned into a cheap, gossip show. It's still being produced by 'Black Fang Productions", but it's another, really different thing that what it really was. It's rumored that everything started when the producer's owner, Brendan Reed, married again, things started to change, but we don't know how to check that", Isadora said, while Alina nodded behind her.

"This year, the producer's reached an agreement with LBC, Laus BroadCasting, to get on the Lycian TV. We all now that the owner of LBC is Marquess Darin, and that's all that we got for now"

"Reporting from various sources, we were Isadora and Alina for Lord Pent and the rest of the people in the room", Alina joked, trying to cheer everyone up. "Don't you think that now I can work at the news?"

"No", Wallace replied coldly, thing that earned him a glare from the young reporter.

"And how did they got that data on the contestants?", Heath asked, catching the last part of the conversation when he came into the room.

"Not only on the contestants", Renault corrected him. "Evidently, you hadn't watched yesterday's show, Alina", he said, playing a tape, while watching the surprised expression of the girl.

The surprise turned into real hate and anger, as one of the reports was entirely about her.

'Who's that reporter that acts as the mediator between the trapped contestants and the outside world? How did she end up there, being a nobody?

That girl, Alina Rettien, comes from Nodion, a pleasant kingdom in the continent of Juggdral. Back there, she seemed to have developed a quite tomboyish attitude, and is well known for not having a boyfriend in a long, loooooonnnnng time…'

Renaul stopped the tape there, as he noticed it was better to stop there and not to go on…

Alina stomped her fist against the table, hurting herself in the process.

"WHO THE HELL ARE THEY TO PUBLISH ALL THAT WITHOUT MY CONSENT?!?!?!?!?", she outburst, really angry, and blushing. "THAT'S MY PRIVATE LIFE!!!"

"Alina, calm down…", Isadora pleaded, but had to jump back to avoid being hit by the angry girl.

"Just who they think they are? And what if I hadn't a boyfriend for a long time, as that… damned voice in off says?!?!", she said, sitting down, depressed.

"Is it that long?", Wallace asked.

The reporter just glared at him, with real hate in her eyes.

"Ok, I'm sorry", he apologized, quickly.

"And me, tomboyish? If there's something I am not is tomboyish…", she said, in despair. "Or am I wrong?"

Nobody answered.

"Oh, great", she said, behaving herself. "I'll go and check our files, maybe a clue lies there"

"I'm going too!", Isadora said, accompanying her friend, fearful that she would do something wrong in her anger state.

Matthew walked into the office and closed the door. Luckily, Leila, his girl, was sitting in the desktop, so he wouldn't have to wait her to talk about his sudden join to the game, even if he would get 'illegally'.

"Hi, honey", he greeted her, sitting down in the chair next to hers. "Are you busy?"

The reddish haired secretary smiled lovingly at that greeting.

"Not now", she said, putting a bunch of papers in a box and leaving it in a small cabinet. "What's wrong?", she said, sitting down again, crossing her arms and leaning her head over them.

"It's just that I'll take a little holiday", he said, grinning.

"Oh, Uther already gave you those? It's not fair, I also deserved ones!", she moaned, annoyed.

"It's not like that", he said quickly. "He doesn't know. I'm getting into the 'Big Emblem' castle, with Hector and the others"

Leila frowned at that.

"There's a nice sum of money for the winner, honey. Just think in that!", he tried to convince her, cheerfully. "Besides, you'll barely have time to miss me, as Uther will torture you, asking you to get him all the news and things that happened during his absence"

Finally, Leila smiled, although she wasn't convinced.

"Alright, but I don't like that too much…I'll have to work double for you!", she complained, giggling.

"So it was that, uh?", he said, getting nearer to her. He kissed her, and then, he got up.

"You'll even notice that I'm not around"

"If you say so… hey, where are you going now?", she asked, stopping him before he left the office.

"I told you. I'm off to the Castle!", he waved at her, then he closed the door.

"You are a child, Matthew…", she whispered, resigned, under her smile.

"Alina, calm down, please!", Isadora begged her, worried.

It was the third time Alina was checking the staff and the contestants files, to see if there was something suspicious in them. And she hadn't gotten anything new, apart from what they knew.

"I'm already calmed, don't tell me to calm down, okay!?", she barked as a reply, slamming the metallic drawer. "This can't! Everything's here! There should be some missing files, but everything's here! Who the hell got that data and how?!?", she cried, punching the cabinet with her fist. "Ouch!"

"See? You'll end up hurting yourself pretty badly if you go on with that. Come on, let's go and have some drinks… Maybe a coffee?"

"I'd rather like Vodka today…", Alina replied, following the blue haired producer.

"But you haven't try that yet… and you don't drink alcohol!"

"That's why!"

They opened the door, and right there was standing one of the leaning boys, dressed in their orange uniform. It was the same one that Alina found suspicious the other day, when she left with Heath and Rath for the Castle. He had light purple haired tied in a ponytail and a scar over one of his eyes. He had an arrogant expression, and, according to his ID card pinned on the left of his chest, he was "Legault"

"What the… what's your business here?", Alina asked, correcting herself at the right moment.

"I have to clean here", Legault said, pointing to the broom that was next to him. "Your boss pays me to clean, ya know"

"Alright, alright, we are going", Isadora said, pushing Alina gently out of the room.

The two girls went on walking silently, until Alina turned back and started walking in haste to the room where they were until that moment.

"Alina, what's the matter?", Isadora asked, her, surprised.

"I forgot my purse. Without it, I can get into my home", she said, while Isadora reached her.

She opened the door quickly, just to find Legault peeping into the channel's files. He should have run if he had known…

"So you where the damned one who was stealing the data and published all those things?!?!?", Alina asked him, mpushing him hard, and making him sit down in a chair.

"I… it's not what you think…", he tried to say, but was interrupted by the foreigner girl.

"Yeah, yeah, you were cleaning the files, as they were a bit dusty", she joked ironically, seriously. "Come on! I may have the face, but I'm not that stupid!!"

"Alina, calm down, you are gonna faint!", Isadora pleaded, far too worried about her friend's health.

"I'm perfectly, Isa, don't bother me with that!", Alina turned back, annoyed. Then she faced Legault, again. "Alright, you work for Nergal…"

"I see you can add two plus two", Legault counter-attacked, calmly.

"Wanna see my splendorous 'Juggdral kick'?!?", she threatened her, in a fighting stance, returning to her times as a judo player, when she was at High School (not that long ago).

"Now I see that you are a bit tomboyish", Legault tossed her, arching an eyebrow.

"Who told you that!?!?!", she went on, more pissed off than before.

"Contacts"

"Isadora, go and call security! Or I'll end up killing him!!!"

Needless to say, Isadora went on running in her search for the security men.

"Great work, girls", Pent congratulated the producer and the reporter, while Hawkeye, head of the security, was taking care of Legault. "I think that would be enough"

"I don't think so", Isadora said, disagreeing with her boss. "Black Fang Productions must have some more spies out there, so I don't think we over with them"

"Anyway, good job", he said again, feeling satisfied.

"Hey, what's with you?", Renault said, pointing to Alina.

The brownish-reddish haired reported was silent, lost in her thoughts.

"Ah? What?", she asked, trying to sound normal, but her voice was saddened.

"What's happening with you? You aren't that silent, especially when someone congratulates you", Wallace asked, following his fellow producer.

"Nothing", she replied back, rudely. "Can I leave?"

Pent looked at the others.

"Well… there's no reason you can't, you know"

"Great. Thanks", she said, picking her things and leaving the room.

"What's with her? She's far too silent for her usual self", Renault asked, with a hint of worry.

"She must have eaten something in bad state and she's feeling bad", Wallace replied, as an explanation, a disgusting one.

"You'll never change", Isadora said, sighing. "She's just in a thoughtful state, thinking in all her life and the choices she made"

"All her life? Is she older than what she said?"

"You'll never understand, will you?", she said, resigned. "Those statements really hurt her, even id they were the truth. No one enjoys being 'naked' like that in TV", she added, picking her things. "Tomorrow will be another day, she'll be better. Well, see you"

Waving at them, she left the room.

"Hi!!!! I'm home!!!!", Matthew yelled, once he got into the Castle and found the living room.

The few ones there rose an eyebrow, looking oddly at the newcomer. The pegasi sisters, Ninian, Eliwood and Canas had no idea who was him.

"Matthew! So you made up your mind?", Hector greeted him, coming from the kitchen, where he was trying to cook breakfast with Priscilla. Next to the door was Raven, who tried to knock him over with his sword, but he failed, as the blue haired youth walked faster than what he expected.

"Yes. I wouldn't be here if it weren't like that"

"And I see you returned to your usual self", he added, looking at his outfit.

Matthew looked at himself, and smiled proudly at his old, a bit dusty clothes.

"Yes, no more suits for me for a while"

"Just tell me the truth: you aren't here to report things to my brother during the night, are you?", he asked him, a bit threatening.

"Of course not! If I haven't even said 'bye' to him!"

"Good, I like it that way. Welcome"

Matthew got into the boys dorm, leaving his bag on the floor.

"Matthew! It's been a long time!", Sain greeted him, cheerfully.

"What are you doing here?", Sain asked puzzled. "Already Saturday?"

"No, Friday", the young thief and office boy replied, grinning.

"And how did you got here?", the crimson haired youth asked, more puzzled than before.

"I just got here by my own will"

"Alina and the others will be mad at you when they find this out", Lyn said, from the door.

"Oh, my! Hi, Lyn!", he greeted her, cheerfully. "It's been a long time"

"Indeed", she said, smiling. "Well, see you later. I was going to do some exercise", she said, walking away.

"Lad… Lyn, wait for me!", Kent said, jumping from the bed as if he had been stroke by a thunder.

"He's head over heels for her, am I wrong?", Matthew asked, asking the obvious.

"Yeah", Sain nodded, resigned. "At least I can count with you to start girl-chasing, can't I?"

"Sorry, but I'll pass. Leila already has my heart", he said, sort of proud.

"Oh, how cute", Sain joked ironically, harassing the in love boy.

Some noises came from the outside.

"Let me go, little demon!", Erk came in, with Nils attached to his arm, struggling to get rid of the little bard.

"Teach me magic, uncle Erk!", he begged, funnily.

"Forget it, Serra can be a better student than you! You already destroyed two of my Fire books, little rat!"

"You shouldn't talk to him like that, little magician", Dorcas said from behind them, and Nils jumped behind his protector.

"Oh, I'm off", Erk said, leaning in his bed. "Hi", he mumbled to Matthew, with his head on his pillow.

"Oops…", Guy said when he got into the room, and left quickly as soon as he saw Matthew. Luckily for him, the newcomer hadn't noticed him.

"Hey, come here that I'll introduce you to the girls", Sain said, grabbing his arm and guiding him to the mentioned room.

"A cheap excuse to see the girls in her panties, isn't it?", Matthew grinned, and Sain couldn't help but smile mischievously.

"Who's that one?", Renault asked in the middle of a producer's reunion, interrupting Pent in one of his long, boring speeches.

"Where?", the others asked, looking at the retired priest's direction.

"There, in that TV", he said, pointing to one of the TV sets, where Matthew and Hector were playing cards with Sain and Karel. For what they could tell, Sain and Karel were loosing, as the long haired swordman was grabbing the hilt of his sword, discretely…

"You sure were paying attention to what I was saying", Pent glared at him, annoyed.

"I was doing the two things at the time", he defended himself, proudly. "But who's that one?"

"I have no idea", Alina said, as Wallace looked at her, suspiciously. "I have never seen him before"

"Me either", Isadora added, shrugging.

"So we have an infiltrated contestant, uh?", Louise asked, in her first producer's reunion for a long time.

"We have to kick him out", Pent said without thinking. "Excuse me for the term", he apologized later, as everyone, his wife including was watching at him oddly.

"It's too late today", Alina said, looking at her watch. "We can do it tomorrow, before the nomination, if there's one, of course"

"Nomination! What are we gonna do with that?", Pent cried, at the only thought of that not debated issue.

"Let's try to get some nominees this time, and if we have a similar response, well, we change that aspect of the rules", Isadora suggested, not very sure.

"I had another idea in mind for next Saturday…", the channel's programmer said, rubbing his chin.

"Well, then they nominate someone this week and gets kicked out in two weeks time", Wallace added, without much interest.

"Whatever", Alina said in haste. "May I leave? It's getting later than what I expected…"

"What? You have a date?", Wallace asked her, ironically.

The brownish-reddish haired reporter glared at him, fists tightened, but instead of punching him in the face she picked her things.

"Alright. We are finished for today. Indeed, it's late", Pent said, looking at his own watch. "Darling, let's go to that fancy restaurant we both like so much…", he whispered his wife at the ear, but everyone was able to hear that.

"Oh, how lovingly", Wallace joked, risk of being fired present.

"So nice, so pretty, but I have to go", Alina said, walking to the door. "The man at home is waiting for me", she added, mysteriously, before waving at them.

Isadora giggled at the statement, while Wallace looked at her puzzled.

"Wasn't it that she was single, without anyone at sight?"

Isadora picked her bag and walked to the door.

"She was referring to her rabbit. Bye!", and with that, she was gone.

"Her rabbit? It was mine!!! Paco!!!", Wallace cried, still trying to forget that incident, but failing.

Alina left the channel in haste, and checked her watch once again.

"Oh, my! I'm gonna be late for my fav sitcom, and 'Paco' must have died of starvation by now!", she cursed for herself, staring at the needles, which weren't going to switch places because she wanted them to. Worse enough, she was in a rather deserted street; instead of leaving the building by the front door, leading to the avenue, she decided to leave by one of the service doors, because she would reach her home faster that way. She was thinking in how silly of her was to take that shortcut late at night (well, it was like eight in the night, and there was no one outside) when she felt someone pushing her.

"What the… ahh!"

She fall down, pushed by someone who was staring at her. Not that she needed more time to recognize who he was, tough.

"I thought Hawkeye would take better care of people like you", she said, glaring at Legault from the floor.

"He did a good job, but I still now how to escape", he replied, arrogantly. "You should learn to treat people better, little foreigner", he added, threatening.

"I barely did a scratch to you! Leave me alone!!", she yelled, annoyed.

"Give me more data, and I may leave you alone. And don't even think in trying to stop the Black Fang, or to mess with "The Darkest Truth". Take it as an advice", he told her, coldly.

"Don't bother me! Go away!!", she shouted, scared and fearful. She was so nervous that she couldn't even get up from the floor.

"Are you afraid? Do you think I would do anything to you?", Legault went on harassing her, ironically.

"Hey, you, what are you doing here?!?", a voice, a male voice, asked threatening from behind.

Both Legault and Alina turned back, surprised. Next to a black car, a figure was standing, looking at the scene.

"And who are you?!?", Legault asked, playing mighty.

The figure walked to the light, revealing himself. A suited man, with longish dark, purplish hair, and a goatee beard appeared. Legault shivered at his only sight, and then he run away, throwing a menace to Alina.

"Don't mess with Nergal and "The Darkest Truth"! I've already told you!", he threatened her, before vanishing in the darkness.

Alina kept on staring at his direction for a short while, surprised. "What's the matter with him?", she thought, without understanding anything.

"Are you alright?", the man from before asked her, bringing her to reality once again.

"Ah… I… yes, I'm fine. Thanks", she mumbled, getting up a bit awkwardly.

"Do you think it's time for a lone young woman to walk streets like this?", he asked her, arching an eyebrow.

Alina blushed, and looked in another direction.

"I know. I hadn't realized it was that dark", she explained, shyly. "What were you doing here, in a street like this?", she asked back, curiously.

"I was in my way to 'Pherae TV', but I think I mistook the way", the man said, looking at the building, thinking it was anything else.

"But you are in the right way", Alina said, a bit more relaxed. "This one is one of the personal entrances to the channel. The 'big one' is turning at the right, on the avenue", she explained the stranger.

"Oh, thanks. I was going to meet Pent. I hope I can still meet him tonight", he said, nodding. "By the way, we hadn't introduced each other. I'm Uther", he added, giving his hand to her.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Alina", the brownish-reddish haired girl replied naturally (thing that puzzled him a bit), shaking his hand. "Excuse me, but I have to leave. If you hurry, you may catch Lo… Pent, he was planning to leave the building soon", she said, correcting herself in the middle of the sentence.

"Well, thanks. Take care", he said, walking to his car.

"Ah? Thanks…", Alina mumbled, before turning back and starting walking in haste to her home. "How strange… it has to be the first time that a stranger tells me to take care", she thought, while she walked to her home, where her new pet, Paco, and her favorite sitcom were waiting for her.

"This is our final segment, Louise", Lord Athos introduced the final block of the show, trying to motivate his companion host, who was much silent than usual.

"Yes, it is, Lord Athos", she replied, trying to look relaxed, but she obviously seemed worried. "Once again, I would like to let in clear that those statements said in a yellow-show from another channel aren't true, as Dorcas is no assassin, Serra's not the reincarnation of the devil, Canas is not escaping from his family, Rebecca isn't the head of a bio-terrorist group that enjoys killing animals for fun, Lyn isn't a drunk, Sain isn't a stalker and Eliwood isn't gay"

"Louise, calm down, our audience already knows what's true and what's not", Athos tried to comfort her, but with little success.

"Anyway, I had to say it", she replied, almost sobbing. "And our reporter, our dear Alina, isn't escaping from the Law of her continent, and hasn't killed a former boyfriend because he left her for her best friend or anything like that. Over to you, Alina"

The screen switched to the Castle, where an angry Alina was, looking to her left with her eyes narrowed, sign that she wasn't comfortable.

"Hi, Louise", she greeted her, not too friendly. "Good night, Lord Athos", she went on, now better than before. "We are here to see who are this week's nominees. In a moment we'll know that"

After a small ad, the action returns to the Castle, to the living-room, exactly, where all the gang was gathered.

"Hi, people", she greeted them, waving at them. "Matthew, come here", she called him, suddenly.

"What?", he asked, playing innocent.

"I'm afraid you have to leave this game", she said solemnly.

"Can't I stay?"

"You aren't supposed to, you know. It goes against the rules"

"But you hadn't kicked someone out yet!"

"Anyway! Don't blame me, I'm just a communicator!"

"Let me stay, let me stay!", the young thief begged, with the rest of the gang as if they were a chorus.

"But… wait me a sec", she said, walking some meters away and pressing the microphone that was next to her ear, so she could listen better to what Renault was saying from the channel. "Are you sure? Right"

She walked to the group again, saying, "Alright, you can stay… Now, who are the nominees for this week?"

The group looked at each other, without knowing what to say.

"I'm one!!", Erk yelled, in despair.

"No, he isn't!!", all the girls, and Nils, yelled at the unison.

"Sorry, but I need nominees, and if you hadn't thought in someone, I'm sorry", Alina said, shrugging. "Now, who else?"

"Karel!", Bartre yelled, taking everyone by surprise.

"What!?! You are dead man!!", the long haired swordsman yelled, taking off his Wo Dao. With the help of everyone else, another fight was prevented.

"Alright, Karel is our next nominee. Bye!!", Alina said, and left the Castle in haste, before Karel could even think in telling her something…

"Hey, Bartre, why had you nominated him?", Lyn asked, curiously.

"Because I'm the best fighter here!", he just replied, before of leaving for the garden.

Back to the studio, Louise and Athos were closing the show.

"And that was all for tonight! Stay tuned, for there's a surprise for next week!", Louise exclaimed, now back to her usual self.

"Don't forget to vote for one of our contestants, children of Roland", Athos suggested, while the curtain of the show was playing.

"Yes! See you next week!"

And with that, another transmission was over.

Finally!!! Update, and a long one! I wonder if someone will read this, considering the length of my chapters. It seems I can't cut them, they just came this long…

I had an answer for one of my reviews pending: I had understood that Fiora was the eldest, but maybe my mind just messed that up. Anyway, it doesn't have too much importance. Thanks for pointing out.

All for this one. Read and review, please…


	6. Session 6 Part 1: Saturday Night Fever?

Session 6: Part 1: "Saturday Night Fever?"

Another emission of 'The Darkest Truth' was ending. This time, they talked about Sain's life, bringing some girls who said that they were annoyed non-stop by the Big Emblem contestant. Another nightmare for Pent and his 'gang of producers and on/off-stage folks'…

Right after the classical, distinguished music curtain ended –sign that the show was over and no one at their homes could see them- Nergal and the rest of the crew stood up. Denning started walking, repeating his never-ending chant over and over again. Limstella left the studio quickly, and Sonia run to her dressing room at the speed of light.

Only Nergal stayed in the studio, walking to where Lord Darin, head of LBC (Laus BroadCasting), was standing, with a bunch of papers in his hand.

"Now what?", Nergal sort of greeted, pissed. He knew that Darin's appearance there wouldn't be for free.

"Nothing. I have the rating scales here", the big built man replied, worried. "Lycia TV still has the first place, although you've been doing quite well", he added, handing the papers back to the black dressed host.

"And what?", he said, dropping them to the floor, furiously. "It's just a matter of time before they loose audience. They are just 'hypnotized' by the 'Big Emblem' thing. Leave it to me, as we have already talked"

"But…"

"But what?", Nergal asked, with less patience that when the chat began. "You'll be the winner in the rating scale, and I'll surely find what I'm looking for", he added, convincing. "Marquess Pherae's channel will have nothing to offer against us, don't worry"

"If you say so…", Darin shrugged, giving up.

"Now, I think we have to talk about something…", Nergal said, now calmly, while walking by Marquess Laus' side, leaving the studio.

"Great, so we put a stalker in the program", Isadora sighed, annoyed. She was thinking in stop watching that annoying TV show, 'The Darkest Truth', with the rest of the crew, and start having dinner with her beloved Harken from the next day on. That would be a good deal…

"Hey, we don't know if that's the truth, so we shouldn't worry", Wallace said, switching the TV off. "By the way, the boy has some taste…", he added, chuckling.

Alina rolled her eyes.

"Whatever, this things just bring trouble", she said, also sighing.

"Why do you worry now, if they haven't talked about you?", the bald producer asked, with the clear intention of harassing the foreigner girl, who just glared at him, as if it were a new habit.

"Enough", Pent cried, also annoyed. "We have better things to discuss today. Like this week's activity, you know"

Everyone in the room nodded.

"Well, I already have an idea, and I think it's quite original", he went on, smiling proudly. "An open to the public bar, next Saturday night"

Wallace rose an eyebrow.

"You mean that we take them to some bar and see if they get drunk or not, with all the audience and the curious ones around?", he asked, incredulous.

"Something like that", Pent grinned, approvingly. "The thing is like this: during the week, they train hard to administrate a bar or a pub, and on Saturday night, we drove them to an already rented space and they can show what they practiced all week, in contact with the real world, once again"

Isadora raised her hand, as if she were at school, calling her teacher attention.

"But wouldn't we be breaking the rules, that way?", she asked, not so sure. "They are supposed to have no contact with the outside world"

"Who cares?", Renault said, interacting for the first time. "We have already broke them several times. For example, they shouldn't receive their orders from Alina personally, but from the microphone. Then, the nominations shouldn't be like they are now, that's too messy. And what's more important, at a month of started the game, we should have already kicked out a candidate, but everyone's still there, so… who cares about the rules?", he enumerated, all of a sudden, without taking breaks to breath.

"In that case, I have nothing to say against that idea", Isadora said, giving up. "Do what you think you have to"

"I think like her", Alina said, shrugging.

"Go for it, Penty!", Wallace joked, earning another glare, this time from Pent.

Renault didn't said anything, but nodded.

"Alright, let's have some party this Saturday", Pent grinned triumphal. "So, we'll have the transmission from there, and we'll know who has to leave the Castle there, also. Alina, tell me: how does the elimination go at this rate?"

The brownish-reddish reporter took one of her papers that were on the table and read,

"Erk: 20%, Karel, 20%, Messages in support of any of the nominees: 25%. Life threatens, 34%, 'Alina, you suck and you should get shot in the head', 1%"

She left the paper on the table once again, sighing.

"We still have time to tell who has to leave the Castle, but as far as the phone poll goes… I think we'll have to cheat the results, or to do as the audience says. In that case, we should have to change the show's game and rules, in my opinion"

"Alright, thanks", Pent thanked, lost in his thoughts. "Now go to the Castle with Heath and Rath and tell them their activity"

"Alright, Lo… boss", she corrected herself halfway of the sentence, waving at everyone, before leaving the room.

"Should I start looking for pubs and discos?", Isadora asked.

"Ok, you three do that", Pent approved, standing up from his chair. "I'm leaving. See you later", he said, between some yawns.

"Oh, a bar?", Serra asked, starry-eyed. Finally someone saw the great potential and the beauty in her, she thought.

Alina nodded.  
"Yes. You'll have to train hard during the week, so you can show all your attitudes there. You'll have to take care of the farm, also, so don't let the poor ducks, cow and others die of starvation", the reporter explained, smiling.

"What about the jobs? Are we supposed to do everything?", Hector asked, yawning.

"Well, yes. You'll say who does each job, so I think it's quite democratic. We will just come to pick you up on Saturday. The rest, is all yours. Oh, and the elimination will also take place there, so get your things ready if you have to leave"

"Can't I leave now?", Erk asked, hopeless.

"No, Erk, I have strict orders to let you in here", Alina sighed, shrugging. "I don't know why Pen… the boss wants you to stay in here so desperately"

"I would die to know", the young mage mumbled bitterly.

"Well, that was all for today. I'll see you next Saturday!", Alina waved, happily. After that, she was gone…

"Oh, a pub… I'll surely be the star!!", Serra exclaimed, already daydreaming and thinking in all her fans, pushing each other to be able to get near her, the 'amazingly beautiful shooting star', in her own words.

"Serra, will you let my arm at ease?", Farina said, trying to get rid of the cleric, who was holding her arm so tightly that she felt it was going to lose it.

"Ah, sorry", the pink haired girl said, still day-dreaming.

"Well, I think it's time to talk about our duties", the out-going pegasus knight said, solemnly. "I think I should be left in charge of the finances and the economy. With my skill we'll surely earn lots of money"

The gang looked among themselves, to see if someone was in disagreement.

"Well, then Farina will be the one in charge of all that", Eliwood said, acting as some boss. "What then?"

"I think the barmen should be able to do some nifty things while preparing the drinks", Farina suggested, taking note of everything. "That way, people will become attracted and will spend more money on drinks"

"Nice point", Guy nodded, approving. "But who will do that?"

"I think that the magic users should do it", the blue haired girl added, managing everything. "With that, Erk, Lucius and Canas already have work to do. Plus, magic is cheaper than special effects"

"But… I should use magic for something else!", Lucius said, against tat idea. "And I have to keep an eye on…"

"Oh, come on! It's an easy job! You three are the best ones to do it!"

"But…", Lucius whined, not so convinced.

"No way", Erk said. "Oh, why should I bother? I'll end up doing that, nonetheless", he said at the next instant resigned. "Just with one condition: Serra won't be there"

The mentioned girl folded her arms, annoyed.

"Alright", she said, offended. "Bartending is a job for losers. How could, a beauty like me, end up in that kind of things?"

"Alright, Erk, Canas and Lucius will be the barmen", Eliwood said, finishing that. "We could do something innovative… like some show…"

"My sister and I can perform a little show!", Nils proposed, excited. "She dances and I play my flute, okay?"

"Nils!", Ninian exclaimed, like a whisper.

"Matthew can take care of the wardrobe!", Hector proposed, just to say something. Needless to say, the mentioned guy grinned, thinking in some plans of his own…

"Okay!", Eliwood said, satisfied. But we should think in more things…"

"Oh, I got it", Serra shouted, over-excited. "We, the girls, should have protagonism. Maybe we could do something like a… 'fashion parade'? Oh, yes, I can already see my fans claiming my beauty…"

Everyone looked in another direction, annoyed (and they would have sweat-dropped, for sure!).

"Never ever!!", Raven yelled, violently. "My si… None of you should walk around the crowd in bikinis, if that's what you mean!!!!!"

Even in his outburst, he was able to control himself and avoid saying 'my sister, Priscilla'. Smart guy.

"Great! You'll be a bouncer, Raven", Eliwood said, while Farina took note quickly.

"This is gonna be much difficult than thought", Lyn commented, giggling for herself.

"They are really quite enthusiastic about this", Renault commented, taking a look at the wall filled with TV sets. Two days have passed since they were given the activity, and everyone seemed to be really immersed in what they were doing.

"Yeah, sometimes Pent has good ideas", Wallace said, taking advantage of the fact that the boss wasn't there. Or so he thought.

"I had already heard you, 'Wally'", Pent said, closing the door behind him, and freezing Wallace's blood at the same time.

"You should be a little more careful if you are going to talk badly about your boss", Alina giggled, raising her head from a bunch of papers she had in her hand.

"Ahahah, very funny", Wallace said annoyed, faking his laugh. Obviously, he wasn't having a good relationship with Alina, and the other way round.

"Little children, the kindergarten is in the other block", Pent said ironically, putting them into shame. "Now, where's Isadora? She's quite punctual, usually"

Incredibly enough, it seemed like he had actually called her. The door opened at the next instant, and Isadora and Harken came in. They weren't looking quite well, as Isadora came in rubbing her right wrist and some bad shape, and Harken was really pissed off.

"Hi Harken. Long time since the last day I saw you", Wallace greeted.

"Oh, my, what happened?", Alina asked, more worried in her friend and boss's health.

"Almost nothing", Isadora said, sitting down and drinking a glass of water that Harken gave her. "You aren't the only one who was attacked. They are looking for some dirty fight", she added, looking at her hand pitifully. "The thing was that I was walking when someone pushed me forwards. I fall down and landed on my right hand. Hopefully, my Harken happened to be walking around here, and well, here we are", she explained, throwing a kiss to her boyfriend.

"In fact, I was in my way here", the blonde haired man said, a bit calmer. "I wanted to have dinner with you"

"Oh, my love…"

"Honey…"

Pent coughed, interrupting the sugar-like scene.

"Sorry, but you are in your workplace, Isadora", he said, breaking the lover's aura on the room. "You know how you are supposed to behave"

"Oh, Penty, don't be that strict", Wallace joked.

"Thanks for that, Wally", Pent replied back, grinning. "Now, I think we'll just postpone our meeting, shouldn't we?"

"You say that for me?" Isadora asked, putting some ice over her wounded wrist. "It's fine now, don't worry for me"

"I'm leaving now", Harken said, kissing Isadora sweetly on her lips. "Good evening", he said to the rest, while walking out of the room.

"I didn't say that because of you two", Pent explained, picking his coat. "It's just that we aren't in the best atmosphere to work properly. Besides, I have a meeting in an hour, so… bye", he added, leaving the room.

"Seems we are all in some kind of strike", Alina commented, while putting her things in her bag. She wasn't going to miss her chance to leave the place earlier…

"No, no, Erk, not like that!!!!!", Farina yelled, as she saw another broken glass in the floor. "If you don't pay more attention and have a good attitude towards this, the bar will be a ruin!! We'll even have to pay more for all the glasses you would break!!!"

Erk sighed, tired. He had been playing with those glasses for several hours, and still, he couldn't find a way to handle them in a stylish way. They just kept on falling on the ground, turning into little pieces of glass.

"Farina, can't you realize that this isn't my thing?", he asked, resigned. "Just let me cast some magic on them and let's be finished, okay?"

The pegasus sister thought for a while, analyzing the pros and cons.

"Alright, it'll be cheaper that way…", she said, busy. "Look, keep on practicing, I have other things to do"

"Ok"

Meanwhile, the rest was also practicing. Lowen was in the kitchen, planning the menu, and Priscilla was there, helping him a bit. Nils was just running everywhere, sign that he was completely bored. Bartre, also bored, was chasing the younger member, just for fun, thing that earned him a position as a bouncer.

"What about the music?", Lyn asked, sipping one of the drinks made by Canas. "Who will be the DJ?"

"I really have no idea", Rebecca replied, leaving her glass on the table as soon as she could. Definitely, Lucius was a great bishop to be a bartender… even if he was just a monk.

"Someone that still has no job…", Matthew said, joining the chat at that instant. "That reminds me of someone… see you!". And with that, he was gone. As well as the other drinks that were on the table.

Lloyd Reed got into the LBC building walking slowly, as if he didn't want to be there. He greeted one of the secretaries sitting at the Hall and made his way to the studio where his brother Linus and Ursula were waiting for him, as well as Sonia, who had a new 'mission' for them.

"Hi", he greeted lazily, waving at everyone in the small studio as he sat down in one of the sofas.

"Ten minutes late", Sonia complained, checking her watch. "You should know that I don't like to waste my precious time waiting"

"Oh, sorry", Lloyd 'apologized', faking his concern.

"Hmph", Sonia mumbled, annoyed. However, she let that one go. "You'll have some work to do this Saturday night, and don't start complaining and saying that you already have an arrangement; in that case suspend it. You'll have to cover the Big Emblem event at "The Shrine" this Saturday", she explained, suddenly.

"Can't you send someone else, like Denning?", Lloyd asked, resigned. "I already have a plan for Saturday"

"Are you kidding me?", Sonia asked, irritated. "You know that he isn't working properly, repeating the same thing over and over again"

Linus raised an eyebrow.

"Aren't we supposed to investigate more important things?", he asked, quite annoyed. "We were part of a team that used to investigate more profound things, like bribery and murder, or complots against the Bern townsfolk, not social parties or reality shows, and we were no talk-show!"

"You said it first: '_used to, 'were''_. You do that no longer", Sonia sentenced, coldly. "You three, along with Uhai the cameraman, are going to "The Shrine" this Saturday, and it's out of the question", she repeated, walking to the door. There, she stopped and turned back. "I think I shouldn't remind you to get us some scandalizing things, like drunk contestants, ridiculous reporters and shameful hosts". That said, she left the studio, leaving behind the three Black Fang members.

"I'm nervous, I'm nervous, I'M NERVOUS!!!", Alina yelled, getting into Heath's van. They had already left the 'Castle gang' at "The Shrine", one of the biggest discos in town, and they had to return to the channel to give the last details to the transmission. Now, it was time to see how everything would turn out.

"You had already said that like twenty times before", Rath complained behind her, in the back of the van. "Since you first saw us in the morning in fact"

"Ah, sorry", Alina apologized. "It's just that I'm nervous. Had I already told you that I'm nervous, hadn't I?"

Rath sighed bitterly, and Heath couldn't help but chuckling.  
"Do us a favor?", he asked the young reporter, starting his dusty van's engine. "Don't say that you are nervous again, or Rath will shot you with his bow"

"Ah, ok. I won't say that I'm… that, you know", the brownish-reddish reporter said, correcting herself halfway of her sentence.

"See? We are understanding each other peacefully", Heath joked, making their way to the disco. "Hey, how do you think this will turn out? Good, bad, regular, really sucking?"

"I don't know", Alina admitted, leaning backwards in her seat. "I just hope it will be at least good, but with those folks around… I have my doubts"

"Which folks? The 'castle gang'?", Heath asked, referring to the contestants as the 'Castle Gang', nickname that they earned to make the dialogue easier.

"Well, they will make it funny, nonetheless", Alina said, giggling. "But I'm afraid of those guys from LBC. I don't want them to pop up and ruin everything… or to make their own editing and bringing shame to us"

"Or to show you drunk", Rath added, all of a sudden.

Alina turned back, just to glare at him.

"I don't drink that much of alcohol. However, a single cup of it drives me to the unknown dimension", the girl confessed, annoyed with the Sacaen cameraman. "So if any of you see me near a cup of any alcoholic drink, kick me, punch me or whatever, but just separate me from that one", she asked, confidently. "Needless to say, you aren't supposed to try anything, as well as me"

"That's no fun", Heath joked, turning left.

"Don't blame me. Blame Lord Pent"

"…"

And so, part of the Big Emblem crew went on its way to the disco…

Hi there, it's been a long time. Rather short chapter (compared to the others). Well, this is part 1, uploaded to say "I'm still alive (if anybody cares)", and because I'm having a rather nasty block (and now I'm hooked with the Olympics, so…!). So, well… part 2 will cover the 'event', but I don't think I'll have it soon, but who knows; every time I say something like that, the chapter gets written in less than 2 weeks (but I don't think this will be the case). Well, all for now…


	7. Chapter 6 Part 2

Chapter 6 – Part 2: "Party, Party, Party!!"

Heath parked his van in the exclusive disco's garage, just next to Wallace's old car. From there, they made their way to the heart of the disco.

"Alina!!!", Fiora shouted when she saw the reporter coming. "Long time we no see"

"Yup", Alina nodded, hugging her friend. "At least you could came!"  
"I wasn't going to miss this for nothing in the world. I can take advantage and advise Florina today… as well as Farina", the green haired girl said, winking her eye when she stopped talking. "And I know you think like me, because you wouldn't have sent me a free pass to avoid all that queue out there", she added, showing her a yellowish card, which was in fact a certain areas free pass, giving her almost unlimited access to the complex. However, she couldn't get into the gang's dressing rooms. Bad luck, she would have to wait in the disco until her two sisters appear with the rest of the people.

Alina giggled.  
"You'll never change, will you?"

Just then, Isadora appeared, dressed smart, yet youthful. Black trousers and a blue blouse were her clothes, graceful and nice.

"So here you are, both of you!", she greeted them, cheerfully and also in a hurry. "You", she said, facing Fiora, "you just vanished. And you", she added, now facing Alina, "you and I have to go to an urgent, last-minute reunion right now"

"Now?", Alina asked, thoughtfully, while she was looking for something in her handbag. "Alright… Wait! I don't have my tissues! Hell, how could I forget to bring them?!?", she asked herself angrily, really pissed off by her stupidity.

"And? Come on Alina, we have work to do", Isadora said, grabbing her hand and trying to make her walk to the room where they would have the brief reunion.

"I can't be without my own tissues!", Alina whined, annoyed and ashamed. "I have a really nasty cold. I'm going to buy some, I'll be here in a moment!", she said, leaving Isadora's hand behind and running to the exit, nervously.

"Man, she should try to get into the Olympics", Fiora joked, staring at her foreigner friend's run.

"Hell, I just hope she'll make it in time", Isadora complained, checking her watch. "I can't go on covering her forever"

"Why am I such an idiot?!?", Alina asked herself while running, searching for a kiosk where she could buy a simple package of tissues. "I should have checked I had everything earlier, not now! And worst, there's no kiosk around here, apparently! How on the entire world can think in placing a top-disco where there are no kiosks!?!?", she went on ranting for herself, running fiercely through the deserted street. She had the happy idea of leaving the disco by the back door, where nobody was, as all the interested ones in entering the complex where at the main entrance.

She had been lucky in her choice of clothes, or she would be forever ashamed of running with a skirt. Instead, she was wearing dark blue jeans, and a light yellow blouse. Luckily she wasn't wearing her favorite blue blouse, as Isadora was wearing one of that color, but it was already done. She would have another choice to wear it, that's for sure.

"Oh, great!", she exclaimed, smiling. "There's one, across the street! Come on, that I can do it!"

Lloyd Reed was walking naturally along the street, in his way to the disco. Linus was parking the car some blocks away, and Ursula was already with the crowd, trying to get some data and interviews for the show. And him… he was walking to the rear part of the disco, just to see if there was something interesting there, or a hidden door, something from where he could take a little look. But first… cigarettes are most important than work. He stopped walking and searched his pockets. Fortunately, he had some, just what he needed for the rest of the night. What a lucky guy.  
He picked his lighter and lighted one, then he put them back in his pocket. Just after that, he started walking again, thinking in how boring his job was now, having to sacrifice a Satuday's night just to work. Alright, he was going to a disco, but not for pleasure.

He was now getting to the corner. From there, he just needed to turn left and to walk two blocks…

"I'm almost there!", Alina thought, sprinting in the last meters, a few meters away from the corner. The semaphore was in her side, so she could cross the street running without any fear of being knocked over by a car... but she hadn't thought in something. Walking people.

When she saw a blonde man turning left, it was too late for her to try to stop her speed. And when he saw her, it was too late for him to move. And so, the obvious consequence happened.

"Oh, Hell!", Alina mumbled when she got up from the floor, after hitting against the young man. Her face was read as a tomato and she was eager to disappear, thing that wouldn't happen.

Lloyd also got up, passing his hand on his clothes to be sure that he hadn't lost anything.  
"Are you alright?", he asked her, politely.

"Yes, thanks", she said, picking her bag from the floor, as she realized that the semaphore had changed its color, and that she would have to wait some more minutes to get her so desired tissues. "And you?", she asked, turning back to him, her voice full of remorse. "I'm so sorry. I didn't want to be so irresponsible…", she started apologizing.

"It's alright", Lloyd replied, smiling. "Just be careful, you aren't in a park", he said.

Alina was now lost, staring her victim. "Man, this boy sure is cute!", she thought, while examining Lloyd's eyes, which happen to be really nice for her.

"Hey, are you alright?", he asked again, passing his hand in front of her eyes, worried that she had lost her talking ability from that little accident, as she was looking at him silently.

Alina blushed.

"Yes, I'm alright. I'll do", she said quickly, as if she could bury her embarrassment that way.

"Well, then bye", he said, leaving her behind and going on with his walk.

Alina stayed there, looking at him with her sight. When he was quite far, she turned back, just to return to the street immediately, as the semaphore had just changed its color again and the cars were now riding again.

"It was time!", Pent cried when a starry-eyed Alina came into the room, with her pack of tissues in her hand. "I should kick you out from here for being such an irresponsible!"

Alina sighed, still thinking in something else.

"I'm sorry", she mumbled at last, trying to look naturally, although her heartbeat was still in the clouds, product of the sprinted run and bumping into "such a cutie".

"You know that you have to be more responsible if you want to progress in this world, little one", Pent nagged her. "Anyway, enough with you. Now, everything's fine?", he asked, turning to the three producers.

"I think that we are fine", Renault replied, normally.

"Have you fully connected the microphones and the cameras? Are the lights working properly? Is everything under control?", Pent asked, without any pause.

Isadora nodded.

"Everything's fine", the blue haired producer replied, satisfied. "I checked all those before, and everything was alright"

"I told her to do so, because if we were to leave that duty to Wallace, we would never start today's transmission", Renault joked, making fun of his friend and fellow producer.

"Very funny", Wallace said, sarcastically. "Is it that I'm that stupid for this things?"

"We have no time to waste", Pent got in between, hurried. "Alina, how's the phone poll?"

No answer could be heard from the starry-eyed girl.

"Alina, I asked you something! You should better reply, you know", the grey-haired man threatened her, softening his voice as he finished speaking. He already knew she wasn't going to pay much attention, as she was far too concentrated in another issue of her own.

"Ah,yes!", the reporter said, returning from her daydreaming state. "Just wait a sec until I find that paper…", she added, while digging in her bag for that paper. "Here it is", she finally said, waving it triumphantly. "Let's see. Erk: 45, Karel: 50, invalid phone calls: 5".

"Mmmh…. Something's wrong here", Pent said thoughtfully, rubbing his chin. "I'll take care of the phone poll until the end of the program. Well, now everybody returns to their posts. Get out, get out, that there's little time left!", he said, waving at the others to leave the room.

When everyone was out, Louise, who had been listening the reunion silently, got nearer her husband and embraced him, before kissing him on his cheek.

"You aren't going to cheat the poll so Erk stays more, aren't you?", she asked him sweetly.

Pent sighed, tired.

"Don't misjudge me", he said, looking at her. "It's just that I don't know how he will handle the news… maybe it's best to tell him when it's something more obvious", he said, placing his hand in her belly.

Louise giggled.

"Erk has been under your tutelage since he was little, but you have to understand that he's not that little or that stupid anymore", she told him. "I can't see the advantages in making him stay in this show, thing that he really hates"

"Honey, don't make it harder for me. You know it's better to have him in this thing for the time being. You know he would start complaining about everything if we ever ask him for some help"

"Well, you are right in that", the blonde haired woman agreed. "But…"

"Oops!", Pent interrupted her, looking at his watch. "I didn't want to interrupt you, honey, but the show's about to begin and you should go and find the make up girl to check everything's alright"

"Oh, I forgot!", she exclaimed alarmed. "Bye, dear", she greeted him, and left the room.

The show's music curtain started playing, and the show's loge was displayed in the screen, announcing the audience that the show was just beginning. The camera started getting nearer the hosts and the 'trapped' contestants, and just when it got close to the hosts, the music stopped playing, and so, the show began, _'per se'_.

"Welcome to a new emission of Big Emblem!", Louise greeted the audience cheerfully. "Good evening to you, Lord Athos!"

"Good evening, Lady Louise, and good evening to you too, children of Roland and the other Legends", Athos greeted the audience, calmly. "Today it's a strange and special day", he introduced, with a small aura of mystery.

"Indeed", Louise said, smiling. "We are supposed to be in a crowded disco, and there's no one yet, with the exception of our brave contestants", she said, as the camera made a travelling shot of the group. "We haven't tricked you, dear audience. We just wanted to chat with them before allowing you to get into here", she explained, proudly.

"As my fellow host says, we'll have a little interview with these brave children of Roland and company here", Athos said, as if he was talking about unknown people when he said 'company', when he would be one of those.

"Well, guys, what can you tell us about your plans for tonight?", Louise asked, turning back to face them. "Who would like to start?"

"I would, Lady Louise", Farina asked, with her hand raised to pick the microphone. When she got it, she made herself more comfortable in her seat, then, she started.

"Well, we have arranged many things for tonight", the blue haired pegasus sister started, with clear voice. "Our barmen have some nifty FX, our bouncers will be the best all around this world, not just Elibe… we even have made some special musical numbers with some of the girls here"

"Oh, that seems interesting", Louise approved, enthusiastically. "To cut it short, because we are running out of time…"

"Time is tyrant in TV", Athos interrupted her, chuckling.

"Indeed", the blonde woman replied, not annoyed by that interruption. "Which role do you have this night, guys?"

"Well, our list goes on like this", Farina said, standing up and walking to where the hosts were. "The magic users, Lucius, Canas and Erk, we'll be the barmen. Then, Raven, Dorcas, Bartre, Karel and Guy will be the bouncers. Sain is our DJ, Matthew will stay at our wardrobe, and Kent and Hector will do an 'internal patrol', helping our bouncers. Then, we, the girls, we'll have some lighter jobs. Serra and Priscilla will help the barmen, and will attend injured or drunk people. Florina, Lyn, and Ninian, with her brother Nils, will do random jobs, from helping our cook Lowen back at the kitchen to helping Matthew in the wardrobe. Will and Rebecca, our archers, will do some 'delivery thing' inside the disco, or they would just add some adrenaline to this. To end with, Eliwood would be the 'ticket boy', selling the entrances at the door, while I'll check the financial area. Anyway, this is like a patrol, so we'll alternate our jobs. Don't worry if Serra is out in the street trying to drag you in here, while Sain prepares some cocktail", the girl said, ending her speech.

"Impressive", Athos said, awestruck.

"Really. I really look forward to experience this", Louise said, amazed. "You also know that today one of you has to leave, don't you?"

At that question, everyone looked at Erk and Karel.

"Lady Louise, for the Light's sake, get me out from here", the purplish haired boy asked, with that amount of pity in his voice, that even Nergal would have felt badly at his sight. Well, if they knew who Nergal was and if he was a malefic person, that is.

"Erk, I can't do anything about it. The audience chooses who has to leave and who doesn't", Louise told him, as motherly as she could be in front of the cameras and talking to her foster son.

"In that case, whoever you are seeing this thing, vote for me", he asked, resigned.

"Well, people, all for now", Athos said, breaking that tear-jerker atmosphere. "Return to your dressing rooms, and get ready, that we are about to open the gates"

"Good luck, children of Rol… wait, that's not my line!", Louise said, horrified. "Good luck, guys!", she corrected herself quickly. "Now, let's go with our street reporter, Alina!"

The camera now switched to the outside, where the brownish-reddish haired reporter was, standing next to an enormous crowd.

"Hi, Lady Louise! Hi, Lord Athos!", the light yellow blouse girl greeted back, making her best to avoid the pushes from the crowd. "As you can see, this is about to explode, and we aren't even at the disco's hallway", she described, as the camera showed the long queue from above.

"Really impressive", Louise said, looking at the giant disco's screen, where the show was being displayed. "Can you talk with some of the people in the queue, Alina? We want to know their opinion about the show and things like that"

"No problem, Lady Louise", Alina replied, turning back and facing a group of three girls which were waiting at her left. "Excuse me, girls", she introduced herself, patting one of the girls in the shoulder.

"Yes?", a light blue haired girl with a rather lost expression asked, softly. With her, a brown haired girl, younger than the first one, and a thin, taller girl, with black hair and a jogging vest over her t-shirt turned back and faced Alina.

"For Big Emblem, live, what do you expect of this night's activity?", Alina asked awkwardly, trying to speak fluidly, but she was too nervous.

"We want fun!", the dark haired girl exclaimed, cheerfully. "You know, after a tough week, we need some good rest. And this girl you have in front of you needs to think in other things", she said, grabbing the light haired girl from the shoulders as she spoke of her.

"Arantxa, can't you shut up?", the light haired girl asked, embarrassed and blushing.

"I see", Alina said, feeling that she choose the wrong people to speak to. "Who's your fav contestant?"

"Mmmh… let's see…", the brown haired girl said, thoughtfully. "Mhhh…. Erk! It has to be Erk!", she exclaimed, enthusiastically. "From the girls, I would say Lyn, or Farina. She sure has some attitude"

"What about you two?", she asked to the older girls.

"Hector", said the black haired girl without hesitation. "Definetly, Marquess Ostia's younger brother. I guess Rebecca can do something on her own, too"

"And you?", the reporter asked the remaining girl, who stayed silent.

"I… I guess it's Kent", she mumbled, shyly.

At that statement, which was something near to a revelation, her two companions looked at her puzzled.

"Always the same, Hazel?", the black haired girl faced her, annoyed. "Can't you go for another type?"

"Yes! You are always after the silent, hard-working type!", the younger girl added, also annoyed.

"So you like Kent, uh?", Alina said, with a hint of hate in her eyes, and her laugh couldn't disguise it. "Good luck. I'll move on", she said, walking again.

"Well, thanks. Good bye!", the younger girl yelled to the reporter. "And all of you, cows, start walking! I'm freezing here!", she yelled to the others who were ahead of her in the crowd.

"Cynthia! You are on TV right now!", the light haired girl protested, annoyed. "What will your parents say about this?!?"

"Oh, Gosh, you are right!", she exclaimed, terrified. "I'm sorry!", she apologized to the crowd, yelling once again.

"It's something great to hang out with these two", the black haired girl said, giggling.

After that small incident, caught by Heath's camera, the camera returned to Alina, who was now further in the queue. Again, she patted another girl in the shoulder, who turned back to face the young reporter.

"Hi. What's your name?"

"Shadow", the girl replied, simply.

"Aha. What are your expectations for tonight?"

"I don't know. Maybe to see Serra fall down from the stage, or Bartre being knocked by Nils, or Sain trying to find a date and loosing miserably at every time. Things like that", the girl replied, grinning at the thought of those contestants being ridicule.

"Anything else?", Alina asked, afraid of what she may say.

"No"

"At least you don't want to kill me", she mumbled, relieved. "Now, I'll change the strategy. Who's your least favorite character?"

"That's easy! Serra, Sain, Bartre, Merlinus… thank St. Elimine that he already left. And my most hated contestant: Eliwood! He should have been kicked out from the very beginning! What happened with my phone calls!?!? I called hundreds of times to kick him out!!!", she yelled, demanding an explanation.

"I have no idea", Alina replied, trying to look innocently. "I'm not in charge of the poll area"

"Alina, we are about to open the gates!", Louise's voice resounded in her headphones.

"Oh, thanks for everything", she thanked the black claded girl, who remained silent in the crowd. Rushing, she went to the entrance, where Eliwood and Priscilla sat in the small room where they would be selling the entrances, while Raven and Karel stood at both sides of the main room, with their arms folded across their chests.

At the only sight of Eliwood selling entrances, the first guy in the crowd burst into laughter, and crying of it, he managed to say,

"Look! Eliwood is a ticket boy!!"

With that, the entire crowd burst into a maniacal laughter.

And so, a long, tough Saturday night began…

The queue was now moving quickly, and so the street was a better place to breath and walk. Alina leaned back against a wall, with her microphone in one hand.

"Are you already tired?", Heath asked, opening a can of a cola drink.

"You bet", she said, leaning her head backwards until it laid on the wall. "I never thought that working at Saturday nights would be that tiring"

"Everyday you know something new", the odd haired young man commented, sipping his drink. "What do you think, Rath?"

The Sacaen cameraman stayed silent, looking to the north.

"… Those two look suspicious, I guess", he said, pointing ahead of them.

"Let's go and see", Alina suggested, getting away from the wall.

They reached the point mentioned by Rath, and they found Ursula and Uhai, from the Black Fang, doing a kind of 'parallel' coverage of the event.

"Excuse us", Heath said, guessing that Alina would be too soft to face them. "Is it just me or you are filming this event? In that case, where's your permission?", he asked, knowing that what would come next would be a cheap excuse.

"Permission?", Ursula asked puzzled. "There should be a misunderstanding here. We are from a travel channel, and we are covering the night life in Pherae", she explained, as if nothing was wrong.

"In that case, show us your credentials, then", Alina asked from behind, almost behind Rath. This was one of those moments in which she felt like a proud chicken, as she was along two guys, and not alone.

"We left them in our van, like five or six blocks away from here", Uhai said, after looking for it in his pockets.

"In that case, you'll have to leave", Heath said, yawning. "We don't want any kind of problems"

"If there's no other way", Ursula said, shrugging.

"No there isn't. Good night", the odd haired boy said, turning back and walking again to the disco's door. Behind him, Alina and Rath walked back, slowly.

Meanwhile, at the main door…

"Capt'n, this is the best ya' could've done to us!", an already drunk pirate said, his breath stinking to alcohol. "Guys, to them!", he shouted, rushing to the entrance, but he was stopped by Karel, who, with his Wo Dao in his hand, was in the middle of the door, not allowing them to pass.

"You can't get in", he said, looking down at them. "Get out"

"We've already paid, and even if we hadn't, we are getting' in!", one yelled, pushing forwards.

"Out!", the long haired swordman said, coldly.

"Or what?", a pirate with a white piece of cloth over his hair said much more colder, walking until he was in front of Karel. Grabbing him from his neck, he demanded an explanation, again.

"You smell of…", Karel mumbled, trying to look like a tough guy, even if he was about to run out of air.

"Say it, and you won't make it to tell the story to your children", the young pirated threatened him once more, grinning evilly.

"Dart, don't you think it's too much", a white haired man with gray beard asked, entertained. Apparently, he was the Captain.

"Nah, I don't think so", the mentioned pirate replied, still grabbing Karel from his throat. "And?!?", he asked, now facing his victim.

"Alright, alright. You may pass", the black haired swordman yelled with the few strength he still had.

At that answer, Dart left the bouncer on the floor. His group of pirates walked past them, laughing at the incident, while Karel was rubbing his throat.

"I never thought you such a chicken", Raven, the other bouncer, commented mischievously, while Karel tried his best to stand up from the floor.

"Very funny", he replied, glaring at him, while picking his sword, which ended in the floor. "If you say a single word about this, you are dead man"

"Always the same good-hearted, caring person", a feminine voice said, behind him.

His blood froze, and his eyes widened. Karel turned back slowly, with the certainty that he knew the person who spoke to him, and he wasn't that happy to see her. When he finally turned back, he saw a dark haired young woman, dressed with a black mini-skirt, a black coat and a white sleeveless t-shirt. She was looking at him with a strange, sad expression.

Karel took a minute to realize who had in front of him. He stayed calm, silent. However, all of a sudden, he jumped towards her, grabbing her from her shoulder.

"Hadn't I told you not to come after me?!? Are you stupid or what?!? Haven't I told you to stay away from me?!? And who told you that you could wear mini-skirts!?!?!?", he yelled at her angrily, pushing her forwards with one hand, while he had his sword in the other.

Raven reacted as soon as he could, and it demanded him a bit of extra work to separate him from the unknown girl.

"Karel!!!!!!!!!!", Farina yelled from the door, rushing to the 'place of the scene'. "What's wrong with you?!?! This is no way to treat a lady!! And she had already pay her entrance fee!!! Let her in!!!!", the blue haired administrator yelled angrily, treating him like a small child.

"But…"

"But nothing!", Farina protested, driving the girl into the disco. "And I thought you could do this job well… I think Lucius can do it better than you!"

"No, please! Don't bring Lucius here!", Raven pleaded, all of a sudden.  
"I thought he was your best friend", Karel said, returning to his post, angrily.

"Yes, but sometimes I get sick of having him around me all day", the red haired boy admitted, rubbing his arms. "And what about that beauty? Who was her, and what did she do to you , that you reacted that common all of a sudden?", he asked, curiously.

"She's my sister, Karla", he said, glaring him. "Beware with what you say about her. Today I'm in a peaceful mood, apparently, or I would have cut you into small little pieces and…"  
"Alright, I understood", Raven stopped him, sighing. "But what's wrong with her?"

"Never mind", the swordman replied, giving his back to him and ignoring the younger boy.

"Wow! This is something… fun!", Fiora shouted into Alina's ear, due to the loud music. "I just wonder why Sain just plays the same themes over and over again. It has to be ninth time in the night that I listen to 'Fascination'", she added, staring at the dancing girls.

"You still hadn't found out why?", Alina shouted back, puzzled. "Even if he's not with the girls, face to face, he tries to find some advantages. Playing either this song, or 'Livin' la Vida Loca', or anything sticky and good to dance, he can enjoy the 'mad about the music' girls, and he can even peep their physical attributes", the brownish-reddish haired girl explained, sighing.

"Ah, I see", Fiora said, alarmed. "I just hope Farina won't drag Florina to dance above a buffer. She would regret it for the rest of her life"

"Why?", the reporter asked, sipping a bottle of mineral water.

"Why are you drinking water at a disco?", Fiora asked, omitting her friend's question.

"Because it's healthy?", Alina joked, playing dumb. "I'm thirsty, and I don't want to touch alcohol, not while we are on the air. I don't know what could happen after that", she explained, sipping more water. "Hey, let's see how they are doing!", she said, grabbing the pegasus knight from the arm and guiding her through the crowd.

"And let's see if we can find something interesting here…", Matthew mumbled, looking into another person's coat pockets. He was alone, bored, and he couldn't with his genie…

"You said you would stop doing that", a girl's voice protested, next to him.

"Honey!", he exclaimed, kissing Leila, while dropping the coat to the floor. "I missed you so much!"

"You won't buy me with that", she complained, getting away from him. "You said you would stop doing that, at least when you aren't working", she moaned, saddened. "If you are to be the dad of my kids, I want you by my side, not at jail for a minor theft"

"Silly dear! You know I can get away from it easily!", Matthew replied, lovingly. He knew she died for him when he did that. "Alright, I'll stop doing this. By the way, this ones came just with the money for the entrance ticket", he objected, glaring at the pile of coats laying in the ground, and that had been already revised by him.

"Matthew!", Leila sighed, resigned. "You'll never change! What would Lord Uther say if it was him the one who caught you?", she asked, embracing him.

"What? Uther's here?", the boy asked, surprised.

"Well, yes, he is", Leila replied, looking up to meet his gaze. "It also caught me by surprise, I have to admit. He must want to talk seriously with Hector. It's the only reason I find for him being here…"

"You are right about that. This isn't his natural habitat", Matthew joked, kissing her in her head. "I wouldn't want to be in Hector's place right now…"

The party was going on smoothly, at least it seemed like that for Hector, who was doing some sort of patrol through the disco. Matthew was dancing with Leila in the dance floor, as he was replaced by Nils at the wardrobe. The magic users were doing quite well in their bartending, even Erk had learned to do a cocktel well. Lyndis and Rebecca were helping Lowen in the kitchen, doing some kind waitressing, moving at the rhythm of the music, for the delight of some males next to the kitchen. Kent had to replace Eliwood at the entrance, and he left to the kitchen, to eat something, as he was about to starve. Dorcas was now at the wardrobe, protecting Nils from a bored Bartre, who decided to harass the little boy to get some entertainment. Serra wasn't around, for some unknown reason, as well as Florina, Farina and Priscilla. Will was doing something at the stage, with the help of Ninian. Sain was playing the music, and Guy was about to switch his turn with Raven, while Bartre had to replace Karel, if he were to leave the little child at ease, that is. Everything seemed so peaceful and calm for a Saturday night…

Just as he was thinking that, he felt someone calling him from behind, patting his shoulder with one finger. Carelessly, he turned back, not expecting what would come.

He felt a strong hand grabbing him from his shirt neck, and he spent a few seconds there, flying, until his brother had the gentleness of placing him down in the ground again.

"I think we have things to talk", Uther said, not so friendly towards his younger brother. "Seems like you were extremely bored while I was out, or you either missed me so much that you needed more people to talk to", he said, looking at his surroundings.

"Oh, hi, brother! So nice to see you again? How are you doing? Did you do well in Akanea? Why do you always grab me by the shirt's neck when you are furious?", Hector asked ironically, mocking his brother. "Had you already arrived?"

"No, I have send an hologram of me", Uther replied, loosing the little patience he had.

"Hi!!!", Serra's high pitched voice resounded throughout all the disco. She was standing at one extreme of the stage, while Ninian and Will went on dealing with one microphone connection. She was wearing a sticky pink dress, and her hair was obviously tied up in two high, long ponytails.

"Serra! Come back! We aren't ready yet!", Farina's voice yelled at her, from behind the stage.

"Oh, you have just arrived for the first surprise show, bro", Hector told Uther, turning back to face the stage. "You'll die when you see this"

"I'm still alive after watching you dancing some hula-hula at TV last night, so this can't be worst", the lawyer brother complained, with a sigh filled of frustration.

"You saw that?!?!?", the blue haired youth asked embarrassed, remembering the stupid situation that had been filmed and seen by maybe thousands of people: in one of the 'top scores' of boredom, he, along with Eliwood, Will and Canas, tried to think in a good surprise number, trying to resemble a tropical choreography. As none of the girls wanted to join, and admitting that the four of them were better cooks than dancers (and that was too much!), they decided to forget about that. Now, his brother had something to torture him.

"Hello, everybody!", Will greeted the people. "We'll began our little series of shows. I know I suck at this giggle, so I'll let the official hosts to introduce it", he said, giving the microphone to Lady Louise.

"Well, thanks, Will", she thanked, a bit puzzled. "Are you having fun, people?", she asked, enthusiastically.

A soft mumble was the only thing that could be heard.

"I don't hear you. Are you having fun?", Louise insisted, giggling nervously. Needless to say that something was wrong…

Without her noticing, Karel walked along the stage, with his index finger moving slowly across his throat, and with his sword clearly at sight. Immediately, the people at the disco screamed affirmatively, as they had never done before.

"Good! I like that you are enjoying it!", Louise said, unaware of Karel's threat. "The first ones to come to the stage are Serra, Priscilla, Florina and Farina. A round of applause for 'Serra and the Holograms'!!!", she exclaimed, leaving the stage quickly.

The lights went out, just to return at the next instant, showing the girls at the stage. The band, with Dorcas at the bass guitar, Bartre at the drums and Guy at the electronic guitar, started playing the instruments, and the girls, with Serra on the lead, started singing a song of Serra's writing. Needless to say, Serra was trying to be the center of all the attention, and whenever one of the girls tried to come nearer her, she pushed them backwards, sometimes gently, sometimes rudely.

"Man, she's a wonderful cleric for a popstar", Wallace joked, talking to Renault, while watching the show among the people. "I think that I know why she left the Abbey"

"Or she was forced to leave", Renault replied, hoping it wouldn't take much. "The other three girls aren't that bad, but Serra spoils it too much", he added. "I wonder why Lyn isn't the lead, or even Rebecca. They would be more graceful than that pink-haired thing…"

"Well, so we can't make a CD with their themes…", Wallace sighed, saddened. "It would have been a good business and a great way to get some money…"

"Oh, my… Florina's at the stage!!!!", Fiora exclaimed puzzled, shocked by that. "What happened to her?"

"She's rather graceful when dancing matters", Alina pointed out, impressed. "I wish I could at least control my feet and stop falling down each time I want to dance something 'lively'…"

"Seems that Farina's influence is somewhat strong", Isadora giggled.

"While she takes good care of her… and keeps her out from the alcohol", the greenish haired girl commented, surprised of her sisters performance.

"Hey, hey…", Karel exclaimed, staring at Priscilla. "I hadn't noticed that Priscilla was that well… ouch! What's the matter with you?!? You want to smell like blood?!?", he asked Raven angrily, after being interrupted in the middle of his sentence, and knocked in the stomach by the red haired bouncer.

"Nothing. I thought you had a fly attached to your clothes", Raven replied, rubbing his fist.

"Oh, my Light!", Cynthia, the young student Alina had interviewed while waiting to get into the disco, exclaimed, horrified. "I can sing better than her!"

"So you think the same, hu?", Shadow, the black haired girl, asked, interested. "What do you think about the song? It sure sucks!"

"Definitely! She can barely mover her feet from the ground!"

"Absolutely! And what about her playing the sexy girl?"

"Argh!! I'm gonna vomit!"

Just then, the song ended, and the girls waved at the public, then, they disappeared from the stage, but with the promise of returning.

Hector tried to leave, but Uther grabbed him from the arm tightly

"What are you doing here?", Hector asked, talking seriously and trying to get rid of his brother's hand.

"So you want to know, uh?", the darker haired young man asked, now being him the one who used the irony. "What do you think I'm doing in a place like this, with TV cameras around? Not filming an advertisement for my buffet, of course"

"Why don't you go and tell some jokes on the stage. You'll surely do better than Wil, who's approaching to the microphone", the younger brother said, half joking, half seriously.

In effect, Wil grabbed the microphone, and turned it on.

"Hi, people! It's me, Wil, again!", he greeted back, now feeling ore relaxed with a microphone on a hand. "Well, the girls are changing their outfits for the next number, and while we wait, I thought, Why don't I go out and cheer everyone up with some jokes? ", he said, grinning cheerfully, as he always did. "Well, let's start with this! Where does Lassie takes its holidays every year? Do you know? I bet you don't!"

The crowd looked amongst themselves oddly and tiredly, and no one replied.

"I assume you don't know!", Wil exclaimed, cheerfully. "Well, to 'Collie-fornia!'", he said, bursting into laughter.

The camera showed that everyone rolled their eyes at that.

"And I thought Serra was the worst thing I could ever seen or even hear", Wallace mumbled, while Renault was trying to repress his frustration.

"Why do people worship Swiss cheese? Because it's holley !!! Hahahah", Wil went on, laughing maniacally at his own jokes.

"What's 'Swiss'?", Heath asked, raising an eyebrow.

"… Mmmh… I don't know", Rath said. "Don't waste your time and went on recording that"

"Are you sure we have to record this?", the odd haired cameraman asked, chuckling. "You know, this will bring us down, even more than that gossips show!"

"Seems it was somewhat odd to understand", Wil said, thoughtfully. "Oh, this one will make you laugh! A guy asks another, 'Do you know jokes about sofas?' And the other replies, 'Puuufffff'!!!! Mwahahahah!!!! It's great!", the brown haired archer laughed, crying of happiness.

"Tell me you hadn't taught him those jokes, for St. Elimine's sake!", Uther pleaded irritated, controlling his desire of throwing something hard at the joking guy.

"Why do you say that!?!? I'm not that stupid!", Hector yelled offended.

"Well, you danced hula-hula last night… I thought that was the worst I could ever seen or heard, but seems I was wrong… that guy is worst!", the purple haired young man said, sighing.

"Well, I have another one! What happens if I cross an elephant with a rhino? What happens, what happens? You don't know? The 'if-I-know'"

Again, everyone rolled their eyes while he burst into laughter again.

"I think this is one of the most stupid moments in my life", Cynthia, the brown haired girl said.

"Shouldn't they take an IQ test before applying to things like this?", Shadow added, feeling frustrated.

"Alright, that one was a bit difficult to understand", the brown haired archer said thoughtfully, rubbing his chin. "Aha! This one is good! A man goes to the doctor and says, "Doctor, doctor! Every time I drink a cup of tea, I get a sharp pain in my eye! What is it?" And the doctor says, "Well, take the spoon out first" Bwahahahahaha, it's great!!"

"Oh, my! Someone should knock him over for telling those jokes", Alina told Fiora, while they went on peeping everything at the disco.

"Ha! Said and done! The Pirates are taking care of that", the green haired pegasus knight giggled, pointing towards the stage, where Wil was trying to evade the things that the angry pirates were throwing at him, as well as arrows and some other things coming from behind the stage's curtain, where the other contestants were. Happily, Wil understood what that all meant, and left the stage at light-speed.

"Finally! I think someone should sue him for telling that bad stuff", Uther sighed bitterly, starting to loose the few patience he had. "Back on topic, little brother, we have to talk", he added, seriously.

Hector swallowed hard, but he wasn't going to show that he was feeling intimidated by his older brother.

"What's the matter with this? I'm old enough to take care of myself, and I'm already an adult person, according to the Law, so…"

"Not yet", Uther stopped him, quickly. "You are still under my responsibility until you are 21. I can't allow you to do stupid things like this one. With the Coliseum thing I've had enough for this year", he added, making reference to his brother's continuous 'field trips' to that place, in his search of entertainment and fight.

"Come on! You are out the majority of time, so this is also good for you! You don't have to waste time with me!", Hector protested, trying to see the new number, in which all the girls would dance some sticky song.

"I haven't finished!", Uther said coldly, grabbing him from the shoulder, trying to make him talk more.

"Excuse me, excuse me", Fiora said by their side, trying to pass along all the people, in order to find a better place to see the number. Behind her was Alina, trying to stay close to her. Hector grinned; he had a good excuse to make his brother shut up. Well, anything turned into a potential good excuse to avoid the subject.

"Fiora! How are you doing?", Hector yelled, grabbing her from her hand.

"Leave me!", the green haired girl said, offended. "How could you dare to treat Florina like that, the other day when she fall onto the pool, just above you! Nah, don't reply, I won't believe your excuse!", she protested quickly, trying to pass.

"Hey, don't go away that soon", Hector pleaded, trying to waste more time. "Hey, Alina, wait!"

The reporter turned back, and made her way to the two youths.  
"What's the matter?", she asked, politely. "Oh, hi again!", she greeted Uther, friendly.

"You know my brother?", Hector asked, puzzled.

"Your brother?", Alina asked, surprised.

"We've met in a bad situation, outside the channel", Uther explained, quickly.

"Alina, he's my brother Uther. Uther, this is Alina, the show's reporter", Hector introduced them formally, noticing that she wasn't aware of whom she had in front of her.

"Ahh…. Nice to meet you…", Alina mumbled, shacking her hand. "If you excuse me…", she said shyly, turning back and pushing the people in front of her.

"Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh, my God….", they could hear her mumbling nervously, while keeping on pushing the ones in front of her, as she went in direction to the bathroom.

"What's wrong with her?", Uther asked, raising an eyebrow. "It's the first time I see someone reacting like this…"

"Excuse her, she's too shy", Fiora, who had been watching the entire scene, explained, resigned. "Sometimes she has some little panic attacks…"

Meanwhile, Alina went on mumbling 'Oh, my God', each time stronger, as she was getting close to the bathroom.

"And what do you think now about this… performance?", Cynthia asked Shadow. The two girls stayed together since Serra's group performance, and now they were talking as life-long friends, criticizing every single detail with no mercy.

"Well, not that bad. Lyn sure has grace to dance…"

"Not just grace. She also has a good body", Cynthia added, feeling a bit jealous. "Else, ask those boys there", she added, pointing to a group of guys who were drooling at the figure of the young Sacaen girl.

"At least, this is better than Serra's singing. How was the group called?", Shadow asked, thinking in something.

"'Serra and the Holograms'", Cynthia replied, strange. "Why do you ask? Are you planning to buy their CD when it comes out?", she asked ironically, winking her eye.

Shadow just glared at her, then she spoke, "I just asked. It's somewhat appropriate. If just Serra was an hologram, and not a flesh and bone being…"

"Oh, my God, oh, my God!!", Alina whined, pushing them a bit, in her race to the girl's bathroom.

The two girls, pushed by the hurried reporter, looked at her oddly, then they looked at each other.

"Wait, wait! This is enough!", Cynthia exclaimed, folding her arms. "We had to cope with Serra's high pitched voice, Wil's terrible jokes, and now this, being pushed by a rather stupid reporter!!", she cried, starting to lose her nerves. "Don't you think this is too much?"

"Yes", Shadow mumbled, rubbing her clothes. "This is altering the idea I had of her…", she added, anoyed.

"She looked something different on TV. I wouldn't have said she was so dumb"

"Absolutely", Shadow agreed. "Well, that happens because we weren't paying too much attention to her. Do you remember the day Kent got into the Castle? She sure was acting idiot there!"

"You bet! And she keeps on saying things she shouldn't! That multicolored hair boy had to remember her to stop saying who their bosses were and such things"

"And she seems quite stupid when she's at her own. She always needs someone to help her, or to give her more speech", Shadow added, then she stayed silent. "Hey, this is getting boring. Why don't we mess around and put some people into trouble, like Bartre, for example?", she suggested, a strange light shinning in her eyes, while she smiled mischievously.

"Well… could be funny… Aye! Let's go!", Cynthia approved, walking away with her new 'comrade in arms'.

"Oh, my God. Excuse me, excuse me. Oh, my God!!!", she went on whining, pushing the people in front of her, making her way into the girl's bathroom, and getting into the first door that opened, even though there were like 500 girls waiting before her, and without listening to the long rage of insults that they charged towards her person. However, she couldn't care less, as she was getting into some depressive state, product of her sudden 'panic attack'.

"Great!!", she thought, sarcastically. "I have now met the infamous Marquess Ostia, whom I had met earlier and treated like a John Doe, and I panicked! What the Hell is wrong with me?!? Why do I always mess everything up!?!?!?", she asked herself, punching the wall, and hurting herself. "Is it that I was expecting something more for a Marquess, or that I have an inferiority complex, especially when being in front of a member of some royal House?", she went on wondering, remembering the day she met Lord Pent. Something like that happened, and she was really surprised when she was told that she got the job. However, she kept on addressing him 'Lord Pent' every now and then for the first month and a half, when Pent lost her patience and threatened her with firing her if she kept on calling him like that. She understood, but she still called him that way from time to time…

The brownish-reddish reporter stood there for a little while, thinking in nothing in particular, until she realized she was in a public bath, with a long queue of angry girls who wanted to kill her for avoiding the queue. She opened the door and went to the wash-basin, ignoring the insults. Just then, Isadora came out of another bath.

"Hey, what's the matter with you? What's with that face?", the blue haired producer asked worried, seeing Alina's worried face. "Is there something wrong?"

"Have you ever been helped by a top-person?", the reporter asked, feeling guilty. Guilty of nothing in particular, but she couldn't stop feeling like that.

"If we consider my Harken a top guy, yes, I have", Isadora giggled, with a loving face at the only name of Harken.

"I wasn't making reference to that", Alina objected, trying to look better. "I mean, do you remember that I told you that someone helped me when that Legault intercepted me when I left the channel? Well, that person was Hector's brother", she said, now feeling like crying, for no apparent reason!

Isadora laughed.

"And that's the problem?", she asked, putting her hands over Alina's shoulders. "You finally met Hector's so mentioned brother, and personally! Weren't looking for that?"

"Hey, I just wanted to see how he looked like, so if I ever got to came across him, I would know how to react, or to run away, so I wouldn't have to talk to him and spoil everything!", Alina protested, annoyed.

"Oh, calm down!", Isadora told her, strongly. "You'll never find a boyfriend if you go on panicking like this! This doesn't happen just with royal people, but with any male of around your age!"

"I know!!!", Alina cried, and burst into tears, hugging Isadora brusquely, giving into her sudden depression…

Isadora couldn't help but sighing, and hugging her depressed friend and colleague.

Finally, Isadora and Alina left the bathroom, with Alina looking slightly better than what she did when she got in. Now, at the stage, Dorcas, Bartre and Guy were playing some heavy metalish themes, with Eliwood as the singer. The few people who hadn't cover their ears with little pieces of paper couldn't say if they preferred Serra or Eliwood at the microphone…

"Uh-ops", Isadora mumbled, her eyes widened. "Menace incoming from the north, Alina. Put your guard up", she said, imperatively.

"What the…?", the mentioned girl asked, surprised that Isadora started talking in military terms. However, she understood. Uther was coming, with Hector behind.

"Argh… great…", Alina mumbled, blushing lightly. She took a big breath, and decided to look confident and strong. Confident and strong…

"Hi, again, Alina!", Hector greeted, hoping that she wouldn't run away again, even if it was funny.

"Hi", she greeted, thinking in her new '_leit motiv'_: Confident and strong…

"Are you better?", Uther asked brusquely.

"Ah, I… yes! I just remembered something and left quickly; that's all", the brownish-reddish haired girl lied, giggling nervously. Isadora couldn't believe her friend's nervousness…

"Are you doing better?", Fiora's voice asked. She came quickly, approaching her two friends, and grabbed Alina from her arms.

"Yes. Do I look that bad?", the reporter asked, worried.

"Oh, no", Fiora said, quickly. "I just asked", she added, as a way to calm her nervous friend down. "Oh, by the way, Alina… Lyn wants you to sing. She says you can do it well", she added, naturally.

"She wants me to what?!?!?", Alina asked, at the verge of a heart attack. "She knows I can barely sing a cradle song! She's so evil!! Oh, my God… She's so mean to me!!! Oh, my God!!", she whined, depressed. Slowly, she turned back, and rushed to the bathroom again, mumbling her nervous phrase… Again, she got into the bathroom, evading the queue, and earning another series of insults…

"Can you tell me what's the matter with that girl?", Uther asked, annoyed.

Fiora and Isadora looked at each other and shrugged, resigned and without an answer to offer.

Wil came into the stage again, shielded with a magazine this time, as if he could do much with one.

"Hi, again", he greeted, smiling nervously. "I'm not here to start a new round of jokes, so don't start throwing things at me!", he yelled, angry.

The entire disco began clapping.

"Whatever", Wil said, annoyed, passing the microphone to Lady Louise, who was next to him.

"We'll introduce the last number of the night. Then, there will be some more dancing, and, to finish this wonderful night, we'll know who has to leave the house", the blonde host said, while the youth left the stage. "With you, Ninian and Nils, in one of their special number!", she exclaimed, leaving the stage quickly.

The lights were gone for a second, and then, Ninian and Nils appeared. Nils started playing his flute in a way no one would have expected it, playing a joyful, yet melancholic song, while his sister started dancing slowly, with so much grace. To make her dancing even more attractive, she had a piece of some transparent cloth with her, which she moved according to the tune.

Among the people, a black dressed man, with a cloak that covered his eyes, was feeling rather pleased. He was there, without moving, almost without breathing, abstracted from the world, just paying attention to the young siblings, who had just finished their number.

The rest of the public started clapping fiercely, for the first time in the night.

"So those are they… I hadn't thought it was going to be that easy…", the man mumbled monotonously under the shower of claps.

In half an hour, the TV transmission was about to end, as well as the party. There wasn't much more to do, and they had enough material for two or three specials, besides of the weekly show. For that reason, Isadora was rushing from one side to the other of the disco, trying to gather all the other crew members. Right now, she had Pent, Louise and Athos waiting in the small service room, which was now the 'producer's hq', and she had found Wallace and Renault on their way. Only Alina, Heath and Rath were missing.

She found Alina soon, wandering through the disco with Fiora, who wanted to say some words to her sisters since she put a foot in the disco, but they seemed to evade her. Bad luck.

"Hey, Alina", Isadora called her, shouting above the loud music. "We finish in thirty minutes! We've producer's meeting right now, so come with me!"

"Alright, but don't expect me to say who leaves the Castle. I don't feel like working now!", the brownish-reddish reporter moaned, still a bit down.

"You are still depressed at that?!?", Isadora asked, puzzled. "Girl, there are important things to worry about in the world…"

"I know! That's why I'm down now!", Alina complained, feeling more miserable. "I need alcohol…", she whined, saddened.

"No, you don't!" Fiora yelled, quickly. "You know what happens when you drink some! Then I have to look after you!"

"By the way… have you seen Harken? He promised he would come…", Isadora asked, stretching her neck to search for him better, even if she was already tallest than the other two girls.

"No, I haven't", Alina replied, sighing bitterly.

"Nor did I", Fiora said, shrugging. "Well, let's go to that reunion", she suggested, grabbing them from her hands.

"And who told you that you were coming?", the blue haired producer asked, annoyed, not for her self-invitation, but for Harken's absence.

"Nobody, but I won't stay alone here…", the green haired pegasus sister said, smiling. "I'm a bit sick of Sain's 'dance' music", she added, sighing.

Just then, there was a sound that seemed like some mechanical problem, and the moving, happy music that Sain played all night turned into a characteristic, old melody, and a male voice started singing, after a small drum introduction,

"_This Romeo is bleeding, but you can't see its blood. It's nothing but some feelings that this old dog kicked up…_"

The three girls looked at each other, with a puzzled expression. At the next instant, they burst into tears, thinking in the missing boyfriend, the love that couldn't be, and the temptation to cry in each one of her respective cases…

After the small producer's meeting, in which Pent had to admit that he would have to say the one who would leave the Castle, as Alina was too depressed to face the camera once again, and neither Louise nor Athos had the guts to face Karel, the Castle's gang had to get together over the stage. The problem was that they were all facing their little problems.

Sain had some problems with his crazy jukebox. He had just been outside for a little while, the time needed to try to impress a girl who was standing next to the DJ room, for no apparent reason. Luckily for the girl, the girl's bathroom queue moved quickly, and she got rid of the failed attempt of Casanova. When he returned, half disco was crying with that slow, romantic song that started playing by its own.

Serra was desperate looking for her make-up. A star like her couldn't return to the stage with the same colors she had in her number, and she didn't know where she put them. For her horror, they ended up in the pirates' hands, and she wasn't going to mess with people like that at all. Instead, she sent Wil, who wasn't in the moods of facing the pirates again, but the pink haired girl pushed him that hard that he ended up bumping into one of them, the one with a white cloth on his head that had some problems with Karel before getting into the party.

"Ah… uh… hi", Wil mumbled nervously when the pirate turned back, dropping one of his comrade's beer in the process. "It wasn't my intention to hurt you, I was pushed", he explained, analyzing the pirate's face slowly. "Hey, aren't you Dan? Yes, it's you!", he exclaimed, all of a sudden. "Dan, it's me, Wil! Wil, your friend! The one you left alone at Badon because you missed Mommy and Daddy so much!", he said ironically, hugging him.

"What the Hell are ya' talking about!?!?", Dart asked puzzled, getting annoyed slowly. "My name's Dart, not Dan! I've never seen you before, and you couldn't be my friend. I would never have a friend that decides to get into something stupid like this!", he yelled, making reference to the reality show, not to the party.

"Well, Dan, we did some stupid things before, even more stupid than me getting into this show", Wil said, smiling nervously. "We did run away from our homes…", he began explaining, but Dart pushed him backwards, annoyed.

"Hey, don't mess with him like that!", Rebecca yelled from afar, her bow ready to be used in her hands. "And you, Wil… we'll talk later! I knew it was you!! I knew you were the one who run away with my brother!", she whined, tempted of using her bow towards her companion, but she desisted.

She got nearer the group, pushing Wil backwards this time. She got nearer the pirates, and analyzed Dart's face, who was getting more pissed off as time passed. He was no different to the rest of the Elibian people, yet, everyone seemed to find him odd in that place.

"Brother… is that you?", Rebecca asked sweetly, her eyes starting to get wet by the tears that were appearing in them.

Dart looked at her oddly. That was enough for that night.

"Hey, girl, you must be mistaken me by somebody else", he said, trying to sound polite, although he was harsh. "I don't have any sister, at least I don't remember having one…"

"But I'm sure it's you, Dan!", the green haired girl insisted, whining. "Don't you remember me? I'm Rebecca, your sister! That stupid over there is Wil, your best friend!", she exclaimed, pointing to the other archer as she mentioned him.

"Sorry, girl, but there should be a mistake here…", he insisted, trying to get away from her. "I already told you…"  
"Excuse me, excuse me", Farina got in between, in haste. "We've got to go, so sorry, you can chat later", she said, pushing the two archers away from the pirates gang. Rebecca looked back at him until she could, sobbing. Dart didn't know what to think and left the disco, quickly and alone.

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen", Athos said from the DJ cabin, where the hosts were to end the TV transmission. "The party is near its end, but we have to know who leaves the Castle"

"Indeed, Archsage", Louise agreed, smiling broadly. "Our two nominees were Erk and Karel. It was a tough decision, and there were lots of phone calls, but we would be grateful if you could just phone to vote for one of the two nominees, and not to say who do you like best or what. You have another line to do that, thanks", she went on, cheerfully.

"Well, now it's time to see what happens", Athos said. He picked an envelope and picked a paper from it. He read it, and looking oddly at it, he gave it to Lady Louise. She reacted the same way: she was confused.

"The one who leaves the Castle is…", Pent's voice, deformed by a PC program said from somewhere else. A long silence filled the entire disco, making the people there feel anxious.

On the stage, Erk was standing normal, wishing that everybody had called to kick him out. Karel, on the other hand, was playing with his Wo Dao, swinging it from one side to the other, and glaring at every camera he found.

"And?!?!?", the crowd asked, anxious.

"Er… the one who leaves is…", Pent repeated, nervously. He couldn't make up his mind. On one hand, it was better for him to make Erk stay there a little longer, but on the other hand he had Karel, who would go after him just after he left. So…

"No one!!!", he said, sighing relieved.

"Yayyyy!!!", some people on the crowd yelled happily.

Erk frowned and shrugged, resign with his 'destiny', while Karel stopped messing with his sword and grinned, dropping it to the ground.

"Oh, my", Louise said, just to say something. "This is another emission where nobody leaves… it's odd…"

"Indeed, it's really odd"; Athos joined, confused. "But we do what you say when eliminating people matters. This is what you vote", he added, trying to justify that.

"Anyway, this transmission has come to an end! We wish you a good week, and we'll see you again in one week in this show called Big Emblem! Ciao!", Louise greeted, while the credits roll music started playing, as the channel was in a little hurry. LBC was about to make a special program about Big Emblem, and Lycia TV decided to show the latest movie available to counter-attack.

And so, another TV transmission of Big Emblem was over…

"This is no fair!", Alina protested, walking to the service room to pick a broom. "They were supposed to do all the cleaning, not us! That was the funny thing!"

Effectively, the Castle gang left almost immediately the end of the TV transmission. The people left rather soon, and Pent, still feeling intimidated by Karel's attitude, decided to let them go before than what they had scheduled. Anyway, the long, gray haired boss left with his wife, saying that he was really tired and that Louise wasn't feeling that good. A cheap excuse that nobody could believe, not yet discuss, as he turned back and left in a matter of seconds.

"And why do you complain that much? Don't tell me you don't do the housework at your home?", Wallace joked, while putting all the alcoholic drinks in their cabinet. There weren't much, though.

"Of course I do them! That's why!", the brownish-reddish haired reporter complained, walking to the cabinet where Wallace was putting the drinks, and she picked an almost finished bottle of Vodka. She poured some of it on a crystal like glass, and looked at it with a not so convinced expression.

"So you like the heavy stuff, uh?", Renault asked ironically, looking at her confused expression.

"Well… I'm not sure, really, but I really want to disappear right now, so… what's the matter with it?", she asked, grabbing the glass again, but another hand prevented her of doing it, as Isadora rushed to the glass and drank it from one sip.

"You thought you were going to drink this, did you?", she asked her friend and subordinate, disapprovingly. "You can't touch alcohol, and it's I the one who needs this more than you. I talked to Harken", she said, leaning against the other door of the two doors cabinet. "He said he got asleep… I'm gonna kill him!!! He said that I expect too much from him, and that he also works hard and that… bwaaaahhhhhhh!!!!", she started explaining, just to burst into tears.

"Calm down, Isa", Fiora said, hugging her. "Everything will be alright…"

"Now I really want that Vodka", Alina said, turning back to grab the bottle, but Heath got in her way and picked him first, before running away with it.

"Hey, I was going to pick that!", Alina yelled, angrily. Things were starting to get a bit uncomfortable.

"Don't even think about it", Heath said, sitting over the stage. "We were all the night with those cameras over our shoulders, so we deserve some reward!", he said, while Rath came with two glasses, smiling.

"Oh, great", the reporter mumbled, wishing she had some psychic powers and get that bottle with her only thought. "At least I have the cabinet by my side…"

Just then, Wallace closed it with key and a padlock.

"Hey, young Alina, why don't you pick your broom again and help me a bit", Lord Athos himself called her. As the rest of the crew, he had to stay to help in the cleaning up of the disco, and he was also sweeping.

"Sorry, Archsage, I'm going", she said, feeling guilty. "But first…", she said, heading to the stage, with a strange look in her eyes. She wasn't paying attention to Heath and Rath, but she was looking up from them, straight to the microphone.

Isadora and Fiora, both afar from her, noticed her intention. They shouldn't let her get near the microphone, not matter the costs…

"Don't let her get nearer the microphone!", Isadora yelled, between her sobs.

"She's right! You'll regret it later!", Fiora added, yelling anxiously.

At those warning, Alina started walking quickly, almost running. She jumped over Athos' broom, and she zigzagged Renault, who tried to grab her from one arm, and she was about to get near the stage when Wallace, thinking in his good old times as rugbier, came running and performed a memorable tackle, dropping her down.

"Tackle!", he yelled, proudly.

"Wow, you can go and play in the veterans division", Heath joked, impressed.

Alina turned back, and facing the roof, she let go a bitter sigh, defeated…

Hi, there! Still breathing, just busy and with lots of things to do.

About the girls Alina talks to in the queue: the first three (Hazel, Cynthia and Arantxa) are from one of my other fics (well, one is a 'soon to be'). Yup, it's quite stupid, and not advised by anyone, but I'm the writer here! There ain't no law against it, so… What's the worst thing that could ever happen to me about it? That someone will tear into pieces my work because I shouldn't have done that? Oh, you are late, that already happen. Beyond that, nothing could be worst, so I have complete freedom now. By the way, I needed some other people to put in that part, and that was the best thing I came across when I wrote it, so… P Back on topic, Shadow is the alter ego of one of my reviewers, Zero84, who sent her data to be put into here. I hope I made it acceptable and that it didn't suck!

I know the pirates slang sucks. With a bit of effort and imagination, I guess it can work P Also, I take no credit for the songs listed here (in that case, I would be a millionaire! P), and I know that neither Ricky Martin nor the other songs can co-exist in the original Fire Emblem setting. But this being a fanfic (parody, above else), and an explicit AU, so there's 'no' problem.

Serra's pop group is a parody of the 80's animated/cartoon series "Jem". For those who have never heard about it, it was the story of Jerrica Benton (It was 'Jerrica', not 'Jessica'. I'm not the one to blame! P), who, with the help of some earrings that his deceased father left her, could turn into Jem, a super popstar. She had a band, with her sister (red hair, played by Priscilla in the fic), the drums player (played by Florina, just because both had violet hair and were soft spoken), and the electronic guitar player (played by Farina, again, just because she had blue hair). The group was called 'Jem and the holograms', and well, just that. For more info, you can visit I hope someone out there remembers about it; else, it's a sign that I'm growing old… and I'm not even 20 yet!!!!! Bwaahhhhh!!!!! ;P

Then, the song I'm making reference to when Sain's jukebox goes crazy is "Always", by Bon Jovi (1994, from the album "Crossroads") Wonderful song, in my opinion. Sad, a really moving love song, at least for me… sighs I could go on "_until the heavens burst, and the words don't rhyme…_"

Well, all for now. See you sometime else… Now I realize that I have put tons of references to my favorite things… D Tell me what you think about this one, please!


	8. Chapter 7: Handy work

Chapter 7: "Handy work"

"Wow, those folks just loved me!", Serra exclaimed at the Castle, while everyone was having breakfast. "And it couldn't have been any other way, having this celestial beauty at the microphone, with a heavenly voice"

Everyone rolled their eyes at that statement.

"I don't want to be rude, Serra, but who was the one who told you that?", Kent asked, picking a toast. He had to be really desperate to make a comment of that kind, because he always tried to evade that kind of topics.

"Someone who's deaf", Erk replied, grabbing his plate and sitting in the other point of the table, even further than what he was from Serra.

"Hmph! You say that because you are jealous of my popularity!", the pink haired cleric protested. "No one looked for you! Instead, everyone was paying attention to me when I was singing…"

"Wait a second!", Farina yelled, angrily. "We were the ones who had the worst part! You were just blocking us, so everyone would see you!"

"Yes, it wasn't funny at all", Priscilla joined in, annoyed. It had to be one of the first times where she spoke her mind so openly, puzzling more than one member, and especially Raven, who couldn't believe what he had just heard.

"Wow, Priscilla! You are starting to change your style… ouch!", Eliwood started saying, but something (well, someone) kicked him below the table.

"Hey, leave something to eat, I'm really hungry!", Lowen moaned, sitting at the table after cooking. "You take cooking for granted, and then I have nothing to eat!"

"Oh, eat before it disappears!", Bartre yelled at him, looking for some fight. That long fringed cavalier could be a good match for him…

"What are those sounds?", Lyn asked, trying to listen to what happened outside.

The wind was blowing furiously, as they had never heard it, and it had just started raining, with some thunders and rays. All of a sudden, several windows fall down, torn into pieces, and part of the roof fall down away from them.

"Ahh!!! We are gonna die!", Rebecca screamed, hiding behind Wil's back.

"Just now that I was going to have breakfast…", Lowen mumbled resigned, grabbing his plate in case he would have to run.

"Oh, no! The rain's going to ruin my precious hair!", Serra whined, at the verge of tears.

"That's what you got for saying nonsense and false things!", Erk told her, glaring at her.

"Oh, shut up and take me to my room!", the pink haired cleric demanded, offended.

"He's right, Serra, so shut up!", Hector got into their chat, angrily. Erk sighed relieved, knowing that he had the support of "big Hector".

Just then, another part of the roof fall down, frightening them all, especially Karel and Bartre, who were below the table, hiding from the falling roof. Without thinking it twice, everybody rushed to their rooms, in panic…

"What's that?!?!?", Sonia asked annoyed when she heard the storm outside.

"It's raining outside", Lloyd replied seriously, raising an eyebrow.

"More than rain, it's a storm", Ursula corrected him.

"Whatever", Linus replied, yawning. "What's up with us, Sonia? I want to leave this place as soon as I can", he added, bored.

"So do I", his brother joined, indifferently. Ursula stayed silent, but she approved of that at heart.

"And do you ask it?", the low necked dressed woman asked them sarcastically. "Tell me what you got from that open party!"

"Well… it was something… fun, at least", Lloyd said, after thinking for a little while. "At least, that pink haired girl's performance was funny, because it was pathetic"

"You can't be serious!", Ursula said, scandalized. "I got a terrible headache just after that! I didn't know where I was standing!"

"And that's why you left with Uhai, uh?", Linus told him sarcastically, grinning mischievously.

"Hmph!", the violet haired reporter moaned, annoyed. For the Reed brothers, she was madly in love with Uhai, which wasn't true (or was that what she thought?)

"Enough of that! Give me the video tape!", Sonia demanded, loosing the minimal patience she had.

The three reporters looked at each other, acting innocently.

"What?!?", the pale skinned panelist asked, irritated.

"We had to record the party in a low quality mini-camera", Ursula said, handing it over to her boss. "We couldn't record everything, also. We had to wait until no one was at the door to get into there"

"Yeah, my camera didn't work", Lloyd lied, as he had forgotten to switch it on.

"You four are a bunch of incompetents!", Sonia shouted, now furious. Even if Uhai wasn't there, he got the punishment, also… "You can't do anything right!! Leave my sight, idiots!!", she yelled, opening the door for them.  
Linus and Lloyd chuckled, irritating Sonia even more, and they left, leaving Ursula behind, who rushed to them as soon as she found herself alone with Sonia, who smashed the door as she left.

"Those idiots… I should convince Brendan to kick them out from here…"

"And so…? What's this week's activity, geniuses?", Pent asked the producers, reporter and cameramen team reunited in his office, anxiously.

"Look! It's raining heavily!", Alina pointed out, staring at the window. "I'm glad I have closed all the windows back at home"

"Oh, my! I left the door leading to the garden opened!", Renault commented, jumping from his chair abruptly, like he had received certain amount of electricity through his body. "My house will be flooded by when I'll return!"

Pent rolled his eyes, annoyed.

"Alright, it's raining, so what? Rain is a natural process that…", he started explaining, but he got interrupted once again.

"Look! The Castle will fall down!", Wallace exclaimed, pointing to the TV screens aligned one next to the other, over and below each other. "Something interesting happens, finally!"

"I wouldn't like to be on their shoes", Heath chuckled, thinking in how soaked the contestants would be.

"That's what we got for trusting in two bargain lovers", Isadora said, looking at both Wallace and Renault, who whistled innocently.

Instead, Pent grew pale, thinking in the mess he would have ahead. But he came with an idea.

"Alright!", he exclaimed, talking seriously. "Alina, when the rain stops, go and tell them that this week's activity is to repair the Castle, because we have no other place to put them in"

"If you say so…", the brownish-reddish haired reporter said, shrugging.

"What?! Pent, are you serious?", Isadora asked, worried. Another tactic like that could be the end of the show, now that they were starting to loose rating, and that "The Darkest Truth" was in a surprising uprising.

"Do you have another idea? I don't", the gray haired boss said, without waiting an answer.

"It could be fun", Wallace approved Pent's idea, nodding. "On the other hand, they didn't clean the disco, so I think this will be like a revenge"

"Don't mention that word again, please!", Alina begged, ashamed. Now that she was really aware of her odd behavior, she wanted to disappear from the world, but she had a contract with Pent, so she would have to wait until the show ended it's airing to travel to the most distant land in knowledge.

"Which word? Disco?", the bald producer asked, mischievously. "Disco, disco, disco, disco, disco…", he started repeating, teasing the young reporter.

"Arghh!! I'm in Hell!", Alina yelled, almost sobbing. She rushed to the door, almost in despair and opened it, with so bad luck that she ended up bumping into Uther, Hector's brother, even if no one knew what business brought him to the channel.

Alina looked up, blushing. Finding Uther looking at her oddly wasn't much of a relief…

"I'm… sorry", Alina mumbled, covering her face with the folder she had in her hands. At the next instant, she was running along the corridor, in her way to the bathroom, the only place where she could shout to calm herself.

"What's the matter with her?", Uther asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Ah, nothing…", Isadora started explaining, trying to cover her friend. "Stress"

"If she's stressed, then I should be dead", Wallace pointed out, sarcastically.

Isadora glared at him, just to sigh at the next second.

"I partially agree with you, Wallace, but you work less than me, so the real stressed one here is me", Pent said, trying to lighten up more the spirit. "Well, Uther, welcome. What brings you here?", he added, politely.

"I wanted to talk with you about my brother's crazy participation in your show", the huge young man explained, seriously. "I can't believe how you accepted him"

Pent swallowed hard, feeling a bit frightened, for some odd reason.

"Well, let's discuss that at my office", he said, standing up from his chair. "Guys, the meeting's over"

"Yahoo!", Wallace shouted, happily. "Hey, Rath, Heath! I'll give you the materials for the Castle folks. You, Isadora, go and look for your friend. They are leaving now"

"Now, under this storm?", Rath asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes"

"Why?", the usually silent Sacaen cameraman asked, depressed.

"Because I say it", Wallace replied, pushing them forwards along the corridor.

"If I had any doubts about Wallace's hatred towards me, now they have melted away and become a fact", Alina said sarcastically, while they were on their way to the Castle. The storm was getting stronger with each second, and they were already thinking in how they would do to return safe and sound. Alina regretted that Fiora weren't there with her pegasus, but even if she were with her, the marvelous, flying creature would be useless because of the intense raining.

"Yup", Heath nodded, concentrated in driving. "He abuses of his role of producer too much. If I were on his place… maybe I would do the same, just with him", the odd haired boy daydreamed, thoughtfully. "It would be like some revenge, something just"

"I don't see why we can't have a revenge now", Rath said, surprising his mates even more, as he was saying all his phrases in row, and not with never ending silences in between. He sure had to be really angry and annoyed to be like that. "Maybe I could start practicing my archery skill with him… It's been a while since I don't do it"

"Do you know how to handle a bow?", Alina asked, hoping that he would keep on talking.  
"……"

"Great, you became your silent self again", the reporter said resigned, sighing.

"Miracles are little events in life, not a continuos thing", Heath joked, almost sinking the van in a "new made" hole in the road.

"Great", Alina sighed, her body shacking because of that sudden change of velocity. "Are we so far away from the Castle?"

"Er… well…", Heath shrugged, resigned.

"Ah, never mind", the girl said, leaning against her seat, hoping that they would reach the Castle soon.

The Castle was in worse conditions than what she expected. It was already flooded when she could get into it with Rath, while Heath tried to put the van in some place where the water wouldn't damage it. Tables, chairs, sofas, everything around them was floating around, in a rather pathetic and somewhat funny way… and a bit far, in the first floor, the contestants were gathered, trying to escape from the water.

"Don't you think that this is a shame?", Lyn asked Alina, shouting. "You could at least try to find a better place!"

"I'm nothing but a reporter!", Alina defended herself, sitting in a table and using it as a boat, while Rath went on filming behind her with one hand, as well as using the remaining arm as a row, just like Alina did with her free arm. "Blame our stingy producers"

"And Pent", Erk added, casting Fire over Serra, who wanted him to carry all her stuff to some safe place.

"Whatever! I think you have come to move us to another place", Hector said coldly, tired of seeing water everywhere.

"I'm afraid that won't happen", Alina said, seriously. "In fact, this week's activity consists in fixing this mess when the rain stops… I hadn't come with this idea, folks"

"And who should we blame now?", Farina asked, getting a bit irritated.

"That… I can't tell", Alina said, shrugging. "Well, see you on Saturday. Remember that you have to nominate two people this time, and please do it, because we don't know what will happen if you go on avoiding this part. You'll find the materials to fix the Castle where the "Shrine" was. I think that the Shrine Master will return by the end of this week, so maybe you could talk to him if you need it. Guess it's all for now", she said, thoughtfully. "Well, Rath, let's return", she said, facing her silent comrade. "See you on Saturday, folks!", she waved at them with a hand, while she used her other arm as a row, again.

"What? Rath was the cameraman?!?", Serra asked, hysterically. "Come back! Come back!"

"Yes, come back right now!", Farina joined, enthusiastically.  
"Do you happen to have a whistle?", Priscilla asked, shyly.

"Hey, you, return!!", Rebecca yelled at the runaways, almost desperate.

"Hell, I wish they would react like that for me", Sain mumbled, annoyed.

"And, Lyn? Could you see him better?", Serra asked her, blinking an eye.

The green haired girl shrugged, defeated.

"I couldn't", she admitted, puzzled. "That camera blocked his face entirely"

"But that body… what do you think about it!?!?", the pink haired cleric went on, desperate. "He sure is a nice catch!"

"Erhh… well… Kent blocked me, so I couldn't see his body", Lyn mumbled, blushing.

"What?!?!", Serra asked, angrily. "You will never get a boyfriend that way…", she said, walking to another direction, leaving the Sacaen girl behind with the rest of the gang.

"Finally, we arrived", Alina claimed triumphal, dropping herself in one of the sofas in the reception area of the channel, without caring if there was someone important near her. She just wanted a comfortable place to stay, before she decided to leave the building to return to her own home, but it was raining heavily, so she didn't know when she would be able to leave.

"Hi again", Isadora greeted them, not so happily.

"What's wrong?", Heath asked, sitting in another sofa. He took a look around him, noticing many people around. One was Fiora, who was looking anxiously at the window, wanting the rain to stop right now. The other one was a black haired and dressed young woman. He could tell that he had seen her before, but he didn't know where. In another room, he could hear Pent and Uther arguing, and Wallace and Renault were just rumbling through the corridors, bored.

"Well… you can't leave the channel", Isadora said, sighing. "Unless there's an extreme case, everyone should stay in a safe place until the rain stops. That's what the government suggests"

"It's really depressing", Fiora said, joining the chat. "Hi, Alina, I hadn't seen you before"

"Neither did I", the brown haired girl replied, waving at her. "So this means that we have to live here until that damn rain stops?", she asked, wishing that she had understood everything wrong, or that everything was a bad joke.

"I'm not kidding", Isadora went on, annoyed. "Pent told me to start arranging some of the rooms so they could be used like dorms… it's the only thing we can do now, as it's supposed to rain for two days more"

"This means I'll have to live with all of you?", Rath asked all of a sudden, making Isadora's jaw drop.

"Can you actually talk?", she asked, her eyes wide of the surprise.

"Hmph", protested Rath, embarrassed.

"Who are you?", Heath asked the black haired girl, evading the other chat. "I think I had seen you before somewhere"

"I was at the disco last Saturday", the girl said, naturally. "I came here to ask a place in the show. I really need to get close to some of the guys in there"

"I'm sorry, but if that were possible, I would be the first one to get in there permanently", Alina said, thinking in Kent.

"We are having a little problem with that topic", Isadora explained, sitting next to Alina, facing the newcomer. "We need to kick some people out from the Castle, but we have no nominations, and when we have them, we have no one to eliminate, as the people want them to stay"

"Don't be so mean! Let her in!", Wallace said, joining the conversation while he got into the room. "She's a pretty girl, and we need some more beauties. The rating would be over the clouds with her in. Or maybe we can hire her as the new reporter"

"What? Are you saying that because I'm too ugly or because I can't do the job right?", Alina asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Both reasons", the bald producer said, uninterested.

"Thanks for that, but I'll refuse", the girl said, politely. "You see… I have to get close to my brother, Karel…"

"What?!?!?", everyone at the room asked, astonished.

"You are Karel's sister?!?", Alina asked, fearful that the girl would react like her violent brother and would tear her throat into little pieces.

"I never thought he had a sister!", Isadora exclaimed, puzzled.  
"I thought that he would have killed them long ago, in case he had been to come with any sibling", Fiora whispered, astonished.

"So I've seen you before at the disco?", heath asked, trying to remember. "Ah, yes! Now I remember"

"Glad you did", Karla replied back, sort of glaring at him, for some reason.

"Hey, she's in right now!!", Wallace yelled, almost throwing himself over her. "Unless you want to become my secretary. I'll treat you well and give you a good pay…"

"No, thank you", Karla declined, sighing, while she grabbed the hilt of the sword she had at her waist, just in case she should intimidate him a bit.

"Old pervert", Alina said lightly, looking at him by the corner of her eye, as well as Isadora and Fiora did.

"I can also be a good boss", Renault added, pushing Wallace aside, and puzzling everyone in there.

"Two old perverts", Fiora said this time, frowning. "Wait! Renault was a Bishop, wasn't him?!?"

"I'm retired", the always silent and absent green haired man replied back, seriously.

"I see", the greenish haired girl replied, still puzzled.

"Enough of this! Let's go and fix the rooms for us", Isadora commanded, sighing.

And so, the show got another member and everybody had to start working, again…

"And the promise will now be fulfilled!", Nergal introduced the topic in his gossip show, 'The Darkest Truth'. "In this tape I have in my hand", he said, shacking a video tape that he indeed had in his right hand, "we have the most embarrassing moments of the Big Emblem bar. I say embarrassing, but this tape makes me feel sorry for them"

"Indeed", Sonia and Limstella agreed, nodding seriously.

"I have a message from Lord Nergal…", Denning started chanting, but he was soon silenced by Nergal, who gave him the tape and the order to give it to Mr. Director, who would play it right away.

Soon, some images from the bar popped in the screen. Serra's music performance, Sain trying to date a girl, who run away at the next instant, Karel threatening some visitors –including his sister, but nobody knew that yet, apparently- Hector arguing with his famous and tidy brother, Lyn and Rebecca drunk, dancing over a table, Bartre trying to start a fight with some people there… even Alina rushing to the bathroom, pushing the people before her and avoiding a long queue.

"Kill me", Alina pleaded with a hammer on her hand when she saw that back at the channel.

"It'll be a pleasure", Wallace said, picking the hammer.

"Ahhh!! No, wait! It was a joke!!", the brownish-reddish reporter yelled, leaving the room they were adjusting as a bedroom quickly, running with all her strength. Unfortunately for her, Wallace went after her, with the hammer still on his hand, puzzling Pent and Uther, who were coming in.

"What's the matter?", Pent asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing", Isadora said, smiling lightly. "It's just that Alina had a little crisis after watching that gossip's show note about our bar. She asked someone to kill her, and Wallace seems eager to accomplish that task", she explained, shrugging.

"Had she ever tried a psychologist?", the grey haired man asked, puzzled.

"Yes, but he told her it would be a matter of time until she gets used to this area", Fiora added, leaning against a new made sailor bed.

"And why do you keep on watching that thing?", Uther asked, disapproving of that kind of show.

"Well, I basically don't know", the blue haired producer said, lost.

"What kind of report did they do this time?", Pent asked, sitting down and watching at the TV, just to find a debate about the bar.

"Someone got into the bar with a little video camera and recorded it", Renault said, bored. "That was all"

"But that's not ethical!", Pent cried, annoyed.

Everyone at the room looked at him oddly, even Wallace, who had just returned from his run with the hammer in his hand, intact.

"What?", the boss asked, shyly.

"Are you expecting some kind of ethic from there?", Renault asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's easier to believe in the spirit of Spring, in Santa or even in dragons before you can find some kind of ethic in those shows", Heath said, surprised of his boss incredulity.

"Weren't you a dragon rider?", Wallace asked him, thoughtfully.

"I was a WYVERN rider before working with animals was turned into an illegal activity!", Heath shouted, offended. "That's why I turned into a cameraman"

"Alright, alright, I see!", Wallace apologized. "I didn't remember it well"

"Back on topic", Uther said, "the only thing you can do is to initiate legal actions against them for using your people for your own benefit, and for getting into your show's activities without asking permission. I think it's the only thing you can do. Plus, you'll gain some money"

"Seems fair", Pent agreed, not thinking it much. "Can you handle that, Uther?"

"Of course! I'm a lawyer after all!", the huge built man replied. "But I'll take a good percentage of whatever you gain. I'll have to imprison Hector when he returns, and I'll need the money to build a good prison"

"Whatever you say", Pent gave in, puzzled.

Meanwhile, at the Castle…

"This is booooooooring!!!!", Serra yelled, sitting in a chair, floating in what once was the dining room.

"Do something, then", Farina replied annoyed, while changing some light bulbs from one of those big lamps with the help of Florina and Priscilla, who were like her ladder, as they grabbed her legs tightly while the blue haired girl tried to change the bulbs. "There are plenty of things to do. You can check the animals are safe, or you could go and help Lowen restore the kitchen. He's having some troubles with the oven and nobody knows how to repair it"

"I don't like that", the pink haired cleric said, polishing her nails.

"Then help Ninian and Nils. They are doing a list of all the things damaged, something like an inventory", Florina suggested, trying to resist her older sister's weight. "Eliwood, Hector, Lucius and Raven are trying to repair some roofs"

"Are Hector and Raven together?", Priscilla asked, almost dropping Farina to the water, as she almost let her go because of her surprise. However, Farina did fall on the water, getting all soaked.

"What's the matter with you?!?", the now soaked girl asked Priscilla, angry. "You were supposed to hold my leg tightly!"

"I'm sorry", the red haired chick apologized, blushing. "It just caught my attention that Raven and Hector were together"

"Don't worry, Lucius is still with Raven, and it seems that he will be with the mercenary until the end of the world… or until the roof fells down over our heads, which is the same", Farina said, standing over the floating table and making her way to the lamp again, with the two girls holding her legs tightly.

"You should try to be more stable, girls! And you, Farina, you have to be more balanced!", Serra yelled at them, pointing out some flaws in her activity.

"If you already know how to do it, then why don't you come and do it, instead of being there, coaching us?", Florina told her, really annoyed. Her soft spoken and silent nature had vanished for a second.

"Erhh… I think Lyn asked me for some help… I'll go for her", the pink haired girl turned down their offer, nervously. "Bye bye!", she greeted them, leaving the room the best way she could.

"Yeah, yeah… run away like a rat, you pink haired menace!", Farina yelled at her as reply, before she fall down for the second time in the day…

On the other side of the Castle, the small "investigation" team conformed by Eliwood, Hector, Raven and Lucius were also dealing with the water. They were in what once was the storage room, where they kept some food rations, unused items, and the sort of things that could come in handy in unusual times… but there was nothing they could use in case of flooding, ironically.

"Guess we have nothing else to do here", Eliwood commented, seeing everything. "The roof's ok, so we have nothing to do here"

"Guess you are right", Hector agreed, looking at the ceiling. "I don't think it will fall down. This Castle is old, but some of it's rooms have strong roofs… it's a shame that the worst one is the largest one, the living room's roof".

"Lord Raven… where have you gone?", Lucius asked under his breath, looking everywhere around him. However, he couldn't find the red haired mercenary.

"What's the matter, Lucius?", Eliwood asked, concerned.

"Ah… er, nothing", the blond haired monk said, covering Raven's disappearance. "I thought I saw something falling, but it was just me"

"Hey, where's your friend?", Hector asked, noticing that Raven was missing. "He was with us a second ago"

"What the Hell???", Eliwood cried, looking at the ceiling.

Just over them, especially over Hector, a package was falling down, ready to hit the blue haired young man. Quickly, they all moved, while the package smashed against the ground, letting go its contents: a pack of lanterns and a tool's box.  
"Hey! This could be handy!", Eliwood exclaimed, grabbing everything. "Let's go to another room!"

"Wait! I want to know why it fall down!", Hector yelled, angrily. After all, if they hadn't seen that box before, he would have been hit by it, surely.

"Look", Lucius told him, pointing a line of boxes piled one over the other. "It must have fallen by its own weight from the top of that line"

"You may be right…", the blue haired Ostian guy replied, not so convinced.  
"Are you both coming or not?!?!", Eliwood yelled at them from the corridor, angrily. "I can't carry this box by myself, you know!"

"That's because you are too skinny", Hector teased him, picking the box and carrying it over his shoulder without complaints.

"I'm not skinny! I'm a thin person!", Eliwood protested.

"Whatever!"

The three guys went on walking, while Raven got out from the storage room, cursing his bad luck…

"Supper time!!!!!", Fiora yelled from the small service kitchen at the channel, where all the "Big Emblem" staff got trapped due to the heavy storm. It was already night, and it was still raining in the city.

"Let's eat in our room, it will be much comfortable", Isadora suggested, picking a tray and putting some dishes on it. "It's too small in here"

"You are right", the green haired girl agreed smiling.

Soon, they were in the room, where Wallace, Renault, Heath, Rath, Karla and Alina were, doing nothing.

"Great! Food!", Wallace almost jumped over the green haired former pegasus knight, who was about to run away, scared of that sudden reaction. "What is it?"

"Hamburgers and french fries", Fiora replied, starting handing them over to all those in the room. "The only things available inside the building"

"I see", he said, inspecting his burger cautiously. "At least, this can't be badly cooked. You have to be a bad cook to spoil something simple like this"

Alina just whined for herself, embarrassed of her lack of cooking skill. Hopefully, no one noticed that, or at least she thought that, as no one made any remark on her behavior. Everybody else was much interested in eating. But who the Hell was she, that they should pay attention to every move she make?, she thought for herself, biting her hamburger.

"Are you already eating, you bad-mannered employees?", Pent joked, coming into the room with Lord Uther and Lord Athos, who happened to be in the building, despite no one had noticed that before.

"What?", the puzzled staff could only say that, while chewing their food. They thought that Pent and Uther had already eaten somewhere else. As for Lord Athos… well, no one expected the Archsage to be there.

"We hadn't eaten before, if that's what you are wondering", Pent said, sitting in one of the beds and handing a hamburger to each of the other newcomers. "It isn't that bad", he said, chewing his burger.

"Yes, but I wonder who was the beast that cooked the fries", Wallace said, leaving his fries on the ground. "They need more cooking!"

Indeed, they weren't entirely cooked, and Alina didn't know where to look, as she was the one who cooked them, in an attempt of helping poor busy Fiora.

"Whatever", Pent said, leaving his plate in the ground, too. "You'll be satying here until the rain stops, right?"

The crowd nodded, still eating.

"And what about you?", he asked, facing Karla.

"I just want to enter the contest", the black haired woman said. "I really have to"

"She's Karel's sister", Wallace explained, grabbing another burger.

Pent stared at her for a moment, his eyes wide opened.

"Is she Karel's sister!?!?", he asked, astonished. He calmed down at the next instant, looking as if nothing had ever happened. "Then she's in, without doubts!", he exclaimed.

"But… Pent! We need to get people outside the house, not to put more in!", Isadora protested.

"Oh, don't spoil everything, Isadora!", Wallace protested, pushing her backwards with so much luck that she ended up in the floor. "Alright, you'll stay with us until the storm stops, then we'll take you to the Castle on Saturday, when Alina goes to cover the nomination. Okay?"

"Yes, thanks you", Karla thanked, smiling.

The days passed, with some headaches both in the channel and in the Castle. The storm lasted two days more, and the Castle seemed like a wild river. On the channel, the environment was drier, but nobody could stand each other. Thankfully, Saturday night came quickly.

"And now, the moment everyone was waiting for: the nominations!", Louise introduced the topic smiling, while the camera switched to the Castle, where the contestants were all gathered above a table, and Alina was in a small plastic boat, trying not to loose her balance and end up in the water, wearing a yellow plastic raincoat. Heath and Rath were in two other boats, recording everything, while Isadora was with Karla in another, waiting the moment to introduce the new contestant.

"Hi, Alina!", the blonde hostess greeted her, cheerfully. "You are all soaked there, aren't you"

"Indeed, Louise, indeed", Alina agreed, trying to force her smile, but it was useless. It was far too obvious that she was in a bad mood.

"Had the brave ones come to an agreement?", Lord Athos asked.

"We'll know in just some moments", the brownish-reddish haired reporter said, turning to the contestants. "Well, you have just heard him. Who's out this time?", she asked, a bit annoyed. "Have mercy of us and nominate someone this time, will you?"

"Serra's one", Eliwood said, solemnly. He had taken the role of leader, apparently. "She wasn't of much help this week, saying things like 'The rain will spoil my hair' or 'It's too heavy for me', so that's why she's one of the nominees"

"Ha! Had you seen yourself!?!", the pink haired cleric yelled at him, annoyed. "You don't do anything if you don't have somebody else to support you! You are pathetic!"

"Ahem", the red haired youth coughed, as if he didn't care. "The other one is… uh…. Er… we hadn't discussed that yet…"

"Don't do this to me again!", Alina cried, irritated. "Nominate the first one that comes to your mind and let's finish this!"

"If so… well… I… er…"

"Oh, I got it", Hector interrupted him, also annoyed. "Raven. Because he was the first one I saw. That's all"

"Alright. Thanks for that quick election", Alina thanked him, nodding. "So, this week's nominees are Serra and Raven! Soon we'll give you the telephones you have to call to vote"

"Wow, a quaint election this time", Louise commented back at the studio.

"Indeed. And something quick, also", Athos added, nodding.

"But that's not all", Louise said. "We have another new contestant!"

The camera switched back to the Castle. Alina was now with Karla in the same boat, facing the other contestants. Karel was far too infuriated when he saw his sister there.

"Well, she's Karla, our new member", Alina introduced her to the audience. "Tell me, Karla, why do you want to enter this show?"

"I want to see how it is to be part of a reality show", the black haired girl replied, harshly. "Just that"

"I see", Alina said, sighing. "Well, all those are your new companions. Go and meet them", she said, while she got into Heath's boat with difficulty.

As Karla was riding the boat to the others, the camera returned to the studio, with Louise and Athos. It was time to end the transmission.

"Well, what will we have next week, Lord Athos?", Louise asked the Archsage curiously.  
"I don't know. This show is like a box full of surprises…", Athos replied, smiling at the camera. "Or it's just like Pandora's box: full of bad things"

"Oh, don't say that, Archsage!", Louise replied, giggling. "Stay tuned, and see you next week!", she greeted the audience.

And so, the show was over for another week…

I suck. Definitely. I just couldn't end this chapter. I couldn't find good ideas, or motivation to write it. Or time. Anyway… I have planned everything to last for four chapters more (with a small epilogue), and I won't change my mind about that. I don't want to leave this without an ending (I don't like to leave my works unfinished, even if I have another FE fic completely abandoned in this same server), so that's why I'm speeding things up a bit.

Well, I have nothing else to say. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!


	9. Chapter 8: Expedition: Emblem

Chapter 8: "Expedition Emblem"

The Castle was still flooded, and that was an uncomfortable thing, even if Alina and Isadora had promised the contestants that they would find a good solution to fix it. However, that wasn't enough, for Karel, to stop him. He had a more important thing to deal with at that moment.

Slowly, he left the boys' room, and using a floating armchair that once was in the living room as a boat, he made his way to the girl's room. He switched the lights on, only to realize that the Castle hadn't electricity. Cursing himself -because he already knew that-, he left his improvised boat next to the door and started walking, looking for someone in particular. He started wandering through the floating beds, until he found what he was looking for.

He shook the familiar figure laying sleepy in her bed violently, until the poor black haired girl opened her sleepy eyes slowly.

"Karel, is that you?", Karla asked him, sound asleep. "What do you want? I'm sleeping"  
"I don't care!", he said loudly, making Serra move in her bed in the opposite direction. "We have to talk!"

"Can't it wait?", his sister asked again, grabbing her pillow tightly.  
"No! I can't talk about this in front of everybody else!", he cried, in haste. "Why are you here?"

"Hmm?", Karla mumbled, still lazily. "I had to see you. It's been ages since I have seen you for the last time"

"But you already know what will happen now, stupid! Couldn't you just forget me and go on with your life?", Karel asked her, mad at her. "I don't want to kill you, idiot!"

"Nor I want, stupid!", Karla shouted, sitting in her floating bed. Luckily, she hadn't awaken anybody else. "I miss you, brother, and I don't want to go on with that stupid law of ours!"

"As if it were so easy to do it! It's been in the family for ages, and no one has broken it before!"

"There has to be a first time!"

"But I won't be the one to do it!"

"Then, I'll be the one!", the black haired young woman exclaimed suddenly, determined to end everything at last. "Take it or leave it Karel, but now let me sleep!", she said, turning to the opposite side and picking the blanket as if her life depended on it.

Defeated, Karel mumbled a few things under his breath and left the room, back in his "boat".

Alina run through the corridor quickly, evading (or bumping into) all the people that were –casually- walking in the same place. She was trying to make it in time for the early Monday reunion, but she wouldn't make it, even if she were to sprint in the last meters… after all, she was half an hour late.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm millions of times sorry!", she apologized and greeted the others as she got into the office, where Lord Pent, Louise, Athos, the producers team and the cameramen were, as well as a red haired man she had never seen before. Without taking that in count, she sat down next to Isadora, leaving her jacket so carelessly in her chair that ended down in the floor, much to her disappointment.

"You always say the same, and yet you never arrive on time, especially on Monday morning", Pent complained, looking at his watch. "I'll have to give you the sack if you were to arrive late again".

"You could hire Uther as your lawyer to grab some more money from Pent, without counting your last month's payment", Wallace said, making it obviously that he was hiding something under his sleeve. "If you could face him without blushing, screaming and running, that is", he added, laughing at that.

Alina blushed and lowered her head first, but then she noticed that he wanted that (or so she thought), so she just glared at him, then.

"Well, I'll make things short for you, Alina", Pent said, ignoring that little joke. "As the Castle needs fixing, we have decided to move the party to another place, at least for this week, in which the Castle will be put as good as new"

"And let me guess: we'll do all the fixing, right?", the brownish-reddish reporter asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nope, you aren't doing that", Pent said, rolling his eyes. "I never asked you to do something like that!", he cried, puzzled.

"Yes, you did!", Renault jumped in favor of the reporter. "We had to clean the disco after they were all gone"

"I have to agree", Lord Athos said, nodding. "I even had to help. Not that it matters much to me, but an Ancient figure like me deserves more respect"

"So you finally recognize that you are growing old, Archsage?", Wallace winked at him, touching him with his elbow continuously.

"I didn't say it in that aspect!", Athos protested. "However, I'm known as the Living Legend, so I guess I'm already in the mature age"

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry", Pent apologized, raising his hands in defeat. "Anyway, you won't be doing the fixing of the Castle, alright? Instead, we'll move the contestants to an island for this week. To the island of Valor, to be more exact", he said, using a darker tone of voice in his final sentence.

The whole room turned to Alina's side, in order to see her face. The girl, who couldn't understand why they were looking at her with strange faces, asked, astonished, "What's wrong with that?"

"Don't you know?", Wallace asked, puzzled.

"No. What?", Alina asked, shrugging. "Remember I'm not from here, guys", she reminded them, innocently.

"We can easily realize that", Renault said, arching his eyebrows.

"Valor is a really dangerous island", Isadora began explaining. "Most of the people that went there never came back. We are risking their lives and our careers in sending the cast there, but I wasn't the one who proposed that", she said, looking at Renault and Wallace by the corner of her eye, while they were whistling innocently, as if they never had anything to do with that topic.

"Great", Alina said, uninterested. "I guess you want to get rid of me and that's the best way you could find", she said, resigned.

"We also have to talk about that", Pent said, seriously. "From today on, you won't be alone anymore in your job. Geitz, the man over there, is going to be your co-reporter"

Alina blinked twice, sign that she didn't understand a part. "Sorry, what do you mean?", she asked, confused.

"He means that you are so stupid that you need someone else to help you in your _hard_ work", Wallace explained her, a bit rudely.

"It's not like that!", Pent said, sighing. "Alina, your work has been declining since a some emissions before, but it has gotten worse since the day we transmitted from the disco. You don't put enough strength nor ideas into this, and you always seem lazy towards new activities. So, I'm forced to put someone else in the screen, because you aren't enough to inform the viewers"

Alina felt as if someone had dropped a cold, icy cube of water on her head. She was the only one who could enter the Castle and appear on TV from there… until now. Now, she had to share her screen time with… another person.  
"But it's not fair!", Alina shouted, annoyed. "You should have warned me first, instead of putting that boy in my place!"

"He won't take your place entirely, you are just going to share functions", Pent tried to calm her down, without success.

"Of course you'll say that he won't take my place, but I know that in two weeks, I'll be sitting in my home watching some old, bad movie instead of being at the Castle, dealing with Karel's threatening looks and stupid-Kent's drooling eyes towards Lyn!", the brownish-reddish haired reporter yelled, extremely nervous.

"What? Do you have a crush on Kent?", Geitz asked, talking for the first time.

"No one talked to you!", Alina yelled at him, hysterically.

"My… what a personality", the red haired guy replied, arching his eyebrows. "Quite annoying and immature"

"Alina, calm down or I'll fire you!", Pent shouted, tired of her behavior. "You are an adult, for St. Elimine's sake! Go and take a bit of fresh air, then we'll cover the Valor thingy"

"What should I do until then, Pent?", Geitz asked, looking eager to learn.

"Come with me. We still have to tell you some other things before you appear on TV", he said, standing up. "Wallace, Renault, you also come with me. The others can do whatever hey still have to do", he said, leaving the room, followed by Geitz and the two producers.

"Nergal!", Marquess Laus's voice resounded in the entire Laus TV building.

"I have a message for Lord Nergal! I have a message for Lord Nergal!", a cloaked man, who looked too much like Denning chanted behind Lord Darin, following him at each step, like a shadow.

"What's all that noise!", Sonia complained, coming out from her dressing room. "And why don't you shut up your mouth?", she shouted to Denning's clone, who just told her that he "had a message for Lord Nergal"

"Stop with all that noise, I'm right here", Nergal showed up, making the finals arrange to his turban. "What's so important that both of you call my name like that and make all this fuss in the building"

"I have a message for Lord Nergal, I have a message for Lord Nergal…", Denning's clone went on chanting, driving Darin into a extreme state of nervousness.

"I'm right here, now talk", Nergal said, impatiently.

"I have a message for Lord Nergal, I have…", the clone went on, with his eyes fixed in nothing.

"Looks like he has gone haywire", Sonia said, examining him well, as he went on with his repetitive speech. "I'll take care of him", she said, grabbing him from his shoulders and pushing him out of the scene. Even so, his lines of speech could be heard from afar, and stopped right after a heavy sound, like something being pushed from a distance and landed on the ground.

"Well, what was that thing so important?", Nergal asked, before Darin could even ask him what was that sound, or what would Sonia do with that guy.

"Lycia TV is going to send its "Big Emblem" show to Valor, as their Castle is being mended this week. Isn't that important?", Darin said, worried. "Now, what are we going to do? How can we overcome that 'surely-rating-upraise'?"

"Valor? Are you sure they said Valor and not another island?", Nergal asked, irritated. As Darin nodded, he said, "Alright, leave that to me. They mustn't reach Valor by any means!"

"Alright, whatever you want, but what can we do to beat them up in the rating battle? I can't care less about that island…"

"But I don't!", Nergal yelled, but soon regained a calm behavior. "I mean, I'll take care of that, don't worry".

"Alright, I leave it in your hands", Darin said, not so satisfied. "Oh, by the way, we have just received a letter from that Uther from Ostia. He tells us to stop the emissions of "The Darkest Truth", or at least to stop treating the "Big Emblem" topic, especially if we use parts of their transmission. And he says that Lycia TV is planning in starting legal actions against us, as we got into their show illegally and without asking any permission", he said, reading the letter, before handing it over to Nergal.

"I'll also take care of that", Nergal said, picking the letter, leaving Darin behind, who went to think in other ways to win the rating battle.

"This is embarrassing", Alina mumbled, drinking her glass of water quickly, as if she had been drinking vodka –especially after a love trouble- instead. "They are gonna give me the sack in no time"

"Hey, calm down! You look way too depressed!", Fiora told her, looking at her with pity. She had been called urgently by Isadora, and now, the three friends were gathered in an urgent meeting, trying to cheer up the depressed reporter.

"You won't be sacked", Isadora said, sighing. "At least, not yet. Both you and Geitz are cheaper than professional reporters, and that's why Pent won't kick you out"

"Thanks for your support, and for calling me useless", Alina thanked the blue haired producer ironically, raising her head little from her folded arms before burying it in them again.

"You taking things too much at heart, girl", Isadora complained, drinking her coke. "You should relax. Geitz won't become a threat for your job"

"And how do you know that?", Fiora asked her, earning herself a glare from Alina.

"Because he won't last much in this environment", Isadora said, chuckling. "The thing's like this: he's the son of a wealthy man, and keeps on bothering rich daddy. So what does Daddy do?"

"Kick him out from his house?", Alina asked, without enthusiasm.

"Something like that. The problem is that Geitz shows enthusiasm at the beginning, but after a few weeks, he doesn't care about what he's doing at that moment. He prefers to think in new projects rather than finishing his current ones", Isadora explained, having another drink of her coke. "It won't be long enough before he returns with 'Daddy-rich-pockets'"

"I wish I could live like him", Fiora said, looking at her already empty glass. "Life's not fair"

Alina and Isadora looked at her, both of them puzzled.

"Excuse me, but you aren't doing much lately", Isadora objected, confused. "You are hanging around with us too much lately, and we don't know when do you work"

"I know", Fiora said, leaving he glass at ease. "I've took a couple of days off, so I can keep an eye on Florina, even if I'm not there. I've promised I would do extra patrols when I return to work, and I have resigned my wage of those days, so…", she explained, sighing at the end. Raising her head, and with an embarrassed look, she asked them, shyly, "I know it's embarrassing, but since I'm short of money, could you pay my drink?"

Isadora and Alina sighed, but accepted, nonetheless.

"Alright, I'm ready to go to the 'oh-so-scary' island", Alina said, meeting the cameramen and her new co-worker next to the van that would take them to the port, from where they would take a ship to Valor, if they could find any.

"You should take things more seriously, Alina", Heath warned her, as he closed the van, ready to embark in the only ship that accepted taking them to Valor. "That island gives me the creeps with only thinking about it"

"That's true", Rath agreed, breaking his silence.

"Nah, it can't be so bad", Geitz said, carrying his wares. "At least, this will be more interesting than interviewing them at the Castle"

"You haven't even done it once, and you are already disgusted about that", Alina pointed out, not interested in the chat. "But what's so strange about that island? I can't understand it"

"No one came back from that island, Alina!", Heath exclaimed, annoyed. "Nobody knows what lies in that island, but it can't be good"

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry", Alina apologized.

Just then, the van carrying the contestants showed up, and work began once again.

Soon, everyone was on the ground. Most of the "trapped ones" didn't look too good. Too many days without anything good to do…

"Alright, people, hi again", Alina greeted them, trying to act cheerfully, but the only presence of Geitz next to her, and with a microphone on hand, disturbed her.

"Yeah, hi", Geitz greeted them, smiling.

"Who's that one?", Hector asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm Geitz, the new co-reporter", the red haired guy said, proudly.

"No one gave you that title yet!", Alina protested, jealously. "They are just testing you!"

Geitz was about to reply something, but Rath made him some signals to stop talking. After all, those who had satellite TV by Lycia TV were watching the scene at that same moment.

"Alright, the thing is like this: as the Castle is falling down over your very heads, we have to mend it. So, you have to spend this week at Valor Island". Fortunately for Alina, no one made faces or screamed at that. Even Serra kept silent. "Well, you have nothing to say against that, I see", she said awkwardly, just to say something. "Well, then, let's get going. The ship that will take you is just ahead…"

"What, aren't you coming with us?", Lyn asked, surprised.  
"I… err… we haven't discussed this yet, now that I think of it…", Alina mumbled, confused. "Hey, boys, who's going?", she asked to Heath and Rath, who were more confused than what she was.

"I go, I go!", Geitz started jumping, claiming victoriously.

"Well… he goes", the brown haired reporter shrugged, still puzzled. "Good luck, then"

And so, the 'Big Emblem' contestants and Geitz, the new reporter, got into Captain Fargus's ship and left to Valor…

"Alright, Nino, come here!", Sonia yelled, after her personal make-up artist left.

Shortly after that, the always smiling green haired girl came in, cheerfully. "What's up, mother?", she asked, politely.

"I have a work for you, and I hope you will do it well, without any flaws", Sonia said, paying more attention to her nails than to her "daughter".

"What's it, mother?", Nino asked again, excitedly.

"You have to get rid of all that Big Emblem crew. Lord Nergal ordered it, and as those Reed Brothers are busy somewhere else, and Ursula and Uhai aren't around, the job is for you… unfortunately", the black haired and pale skinned woman said, sighing. "You better do it well, understood?"

"But how I'm supposed to deal with all those people by myself?", the green haired girl whined, now worried about the magnitude of her task.

"I was expecting your whining", Sonia admitted, annoyed. "Jaffar will catch you later. He's… busy with another project"

"Okay…", Nino said, thoughtfully.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Get moving!", Sonia yelled, pushing Nino forwards. The girl understood well that message, and so she left, wondering how she would commit her task.

"Hmph! Humans! They are always so lazy and need everything to be ordered to them", Sonia mumbled, as she stared at the leaving Nino.

"Well, let's make ourselves comfortable here!", Geitz shouted, with his mini-camera on hand, recording everything for the show. "We are on a pirate ship, so let's plan our next attack to a civilian boat!", he went on shouting, while the ship's crew look at him weirdly.

On the other side, Wil wasn't pleased at all of being in that ship. There were a few known faces in that ship… And it seemed that he wasn't forgotten, either.

"Hey, look who's here!", one of the pirates yelled, after spending some times looking at a nervous Wil.

"Hey, if it's the bad jokes guy from that party!", another said, grabbing the poor guy by the neck, mockingly. "Guess we'll 've a great time teachin' him some jokes, don't ya' think so?"

"Yeah!", some other pirates joined him, laughing.

"If you are gonna play with him, don't spoil the floor, please", Captain Fargus joke, as the group of pirates walked past him, carrying Wil like a puppet. "We spent quite some time cleaning the blood marks last time", he said, bursting into laughter. With that statement, Wil was more nervous than ever.

"Ahoy! To the infinite, and beyond!", Geitz shouted, over-excited. "I'm the King of the Sea!", he went on, somewhat in a mystic state.

"He ain't serious, is he?", Dart asked Eliwood, the closest "client" he had around.

"Well... he is. He's the new reporter", the fire haired youth said, shrugging.

Dart didn't say anything, then he blinked twice and left, amazed.

"Ahoy! To the sea, and beyond!", Geitz went on yelling, much like a little boy in his favorite place.

"Should I do something about this?", Karel asked the rest of the contestants, his sword on hand.

"Keep that out... at least for now", Hector said, sighing.

"It's gonna be a long trip", Lyn said, resigned.

"Now I want to hear someone saying that I'm the most annoying person aboard", Serra said ironically.

The others leaned their heads down, like an apology.

And then, a tough journey began...

Nino rushed to the port, feelng as if her legs were to fall down from her body at any time. Beside her was Jaffar, not paying much attention to her.

She made it, finally, but she couldn't see any known face at the port. Breathing heavily, she walked to a fisherman, who was sitting there. "Excuse me, but... had the ship that was going to Valor already left?", she asked, wishing it hadn't leave.

"Yes", the man replied, while he throw a stne to the water. "You are safe now"

"It's not like that!", Nino whined, terrified at the only thought of Sonia. "Mum's going to be really mad at me now! I'm useless!"

Jaffar, who had heard the conversation silently, told her, "Let's get out from here, we can't reach them"

"But you don't understand... she'll be really pissed off at me, and with enough reasons!"

"Hey, calm down... Nergal sent some of his men to stop them at sea... so let's get out from here", the silent guy said, walking away.

Nino followed him with her eyes, as she tried to calm herself down. Then, she followed him, silently, biting her lips so she wouldn't whine about her situation.

Alina shut the door of the van quite hard, releasing some of her rage with that. She was starting to get sick of her once so exciting job... after all, Pent had already found a replacement for her.

The two cameramen and the reporter walked silently into the building, only to be received by a too-nervous Isadora, who looked eager to see them.

"Finally, you arrived!", she said, running to their meeting. "I couldn't contact any of you before. Is it that all of you had your handies off?", she asked, angrily, just to became worried at the next instant. "Leila's been hurt", she just said, saddened. "She's Uther's secretary... She left her workplace, when someone knocked her down, leaving her unconscious at the street. She's at the hospital right now... It all happened after Uther sent a legal letter to Laus TV for using our material without asking for it first... we don't know what can happen from now on..."

"Shess... pretty trouble we were thrown into...", Heath said, whistling.

"Yes, and that's not everything", the blue haired producer said, frowning. "Right now, there's a battle at Captain Fargus's ship... with all the contestants aboard", Isadora sighed, switching one of the TVs on. Right there, an army of morphs was attacking the ship, and everyone was fighting them, with the exception of Ninian and Nils, who couldn't be seen anywhere. The most excited over all that thing where Karel –for obvious reasons- and Geitz, who always got excited at something new.

"Wow... and I should be there", Alina complained, her mouth wide opened. "I hadn't spent three years of my High School life in the Tacticians Club for nothing... but well, it seems I did"

Heath chuckled at that. "You sure have bad luck"

"You bet", the brownish haired girl whined.

"Whatever!", Isadora said, sighing. "What should we do now? Pent went with Louise to the doctor, and Renault and Wallace aren't much help right now, as they are checking how the rating goes to the sky with all that non-planned violence"

"What? The rating's going up?", Alina asked, surprised.

"As it had never been before", the blue haired woman said, as surprised as her friend.

"Quite odd...", Rath said.

"'Violence rules' would be their leit motiv", Heath said, shrugging. "A rather violent society"

"Indeed, but now we must think what we should do", Isadora said, worried. "I'm trying to contact Geitz, but the guy is more excited at the battle rather than answering his handy".

"Well... let's wait until they defeat those guys", Alina proposed. "If things get more difficult... let's find a wyvern and go to their rescue"

Isadora blinked surprised. "And you spent three of your High-school years at the Tacticians Club for this suggestion?"

Alina shrugged, smiling innocently.

Nino walked along the Laus TV corridor with her head down, defeated. The only thought of facing her mother made her feel more miserable, as she woulnd't accept her defeat.

"So here you are! It was time", Sonia yelled as she saw the green haired girl. "Don't say anything. I already knew that you couldn't get them, you failure! But we already got what we really wanted, and not because of you. Now get out!"

Nino looked at her silently, her eyes filling up with tears.

"What are you looking at?", Sonia yelled at her once again. "Oh, you are about to cry, aren't you? Get out of here, I told you! No, if you are as stupid as your parents were... It was nice to get rid of them... No, go away"

Nino's eyes opened wide. "So... you are not my mother?", she asked, trembling.

Sonia laughed at her. "Hahaha... what an occurrence... No, I killed your parents! How would I have a child, especially a rather silly one, just like you! Hahaha... you, my child? How stupid!", she went on laughing maniacally, despicable.

Nino's fist tightened, as her sorrow turned into rage. "You evil... thing!", she shouted, as she rushed to Sonia, with the intention of hitting her. However, Sonia dodged her, and the green haired mage fall down, crying.

"Hahaha... see? You are useless... You can't do anything well", she said, as she walked next to the fallen girl. "Humans... nothing but a stupid race", she mumbled, as she got into her room and closed the door tightly, while Nino made her best to get up from the floor.

Back at Captain Fargus's vessel, the battle was over, with many corpses of morphs filling the floor.

"Yeah, we did it!", Geitz shouted at his video camera, wildly. "Now, I'm really am the King of the Sea!"

"Yeah, yeah, as you say it", Dart told him, as he walked past him.

"Hey, everyone is alright?", Eliwood asked, taking the role of boss, once again.

"Yeah, the kid is right", Captain Fargus said, rubbing Eliwood's red hair. "Are you alright? Should we go on with our journey without any complications?"

"Wait!", Lyn shouted, terrified. "Ninian and Nils aren't anywhere in this ship!"

"What?", the rest of the contestants shouted, astonished.

"It can't be! Are you sure?", Hector told her, disbelieving the Sacaen girl.  
"I looked for them all around the ship, and there are no traces of them!", Lyn said, worried. "Those strange guys must have taken them prisoners!"

"Oh, St. Elimine, what should we do now?", Rebecca said, also worried.

"Hey, wait! We have to go back to Vadon!", Geitz shouted, annoyed. "I got instructions from the producers that things are quite bad lately, so we should return and spend these days in another Castle"

"So we're off to Vadon, right?", Fargus asked, raising an eyebrow. "Alright, we're going back"

"Had you told them that Ninian and Nils aren't here?", Lyn asked him.

"No, but they had already heard you saying it, so... now they know", Geitz said, shrugging.

"But it can't be! They should be somewhere on the ship", Farina exclaimed. "Well, let's go and look for them. And if I find them, I shall receive my reward!"

No one was at the mood to glare at the money-hungry pegasus rider.

Isadora went pale at the bad news.

"Isadora, are you alright?", Alina asked her, worried at her friend's change of skin tone.

"I won't be ok if things go on like this", she said, resting over the armchair. "Ninian and Nils aren't on the ship"

"What?", the rest of the people at the producers room –Alina, Heath, Rath, Wallace, Renault and Lord Athos- exclaimed, astonished.

"What you've heard. They must have been taken prisoners by those guys", Isadora said, tired. "I'm sick of this! This was supposed to be one of the most quiet, pacific, relaxing works I've ever had, and instead, I go from one disgust to the other!", she yelled, sick of the situation. "Now, what the Hell are we supposed to do now?"

"We should talk to Pent, of course!", Alina said, convinced of her idea. "Where are they?"

"Forget that idea, as reasonable as it is", the blue haired producer said, tired. "Louise is pregnant, and we shouldn't torture the merry couple with this kind of stuff"

"Is she pregnant?", the reporter and the two cameraman asked, surprised.

"Yes, she is", Isadora said. "They wanted to keep it secret, and that's why they put Erk into the show, as they didn't know how he would react"

"Aha... odd", Alina just said, confused. "So, what should we do?"

"Fight Nergal", Lord Athos simply said, seriously.

"What? We can't do that, Archsage", Isadora said, surprised. "Fighting classes have been abolished some years ago"

"But there's no other way out", Lord Athos said. "Talking is useless with Nergal, and, without any doubt, he will try to turn Ninian and Nils into their true form"

The remaining people at the room stared at Lord Athos puzzled.

"What do you mean about 'true form'?", Renault asked. "Do you mean that there's something wrong with them?"

Athos sighed. "I really hoped this time wouldn't came, but well... there's no other way out than telling you the truth", the old man said, resigned. "Ninian and Nils are dragons who fall into Elibe. I made them join this show in order to protect them, as I knew Nergal was behind them. I thought they would be safe here, but it didn't turn out as expected"

"So everyone made this show to get rid of someone else?", Alina asked ironically, thinking in Erk's situation. As everyone looked at her quite crossed, she apologized quickly.

"So Nergal was behind the ship's attack", Isadora said, annoyed. "Well, it was obvious, actually. That way he would also have some material for his show, too"

"You are right. He sent his morphs to distract the crew and kidnap the kids", Athos said, saddened.

"What are those morphs?", Heath asked.

"They are things that resemble humans, though most of them lack soul. Only a few ones resemble real human beings", the Archsage explained.

At that statement, Renault looked somewhere else, as if he wanted to hide something.

"How do you know so much about Nergal?", Alina asked, curious.

Lord Athos smiled lightly, yet annoyed. "He was once my disciple and friend"

"And why didn't you say it first! We could have taken advantage of that, somehow!", Wallace shouted, excited.

Now, everyone was crossed at the bald producer.

"Argh... sorry", he apologized, sweating.

"Well... there's no time to loose", Isadora said, clapping so she could cheer everyone up. "Hands at work, that we have to protect the rest and find a way to rescue the poor dragons... I mean, kids!"

"Hmm... I still have some questions about the entire thing...", Alina began saying, but was interrupted by Wallace.

"Later! Now, go and pick the others at Vadon's port", the bald man told er, quickly. "You two go with her", he said, pointing towards Rath and Heath, who were already in their way, before he could finish the phrase. And so, they were gone.

Isadora walked along the corridor, as she talked to Fiora, who had just arrived to hang up with her friends, and instead of that, she had to find several ways to cheer up a worried Isadora. Both girls were walking quietly when they heard heavy footsteps coming behind them. Quickly, the two young women turned back, and found Uther running in haste, and in a bad shape. He had bandages covering both his forehead and his nose, and he was followed by Oswin, his secretary, advisor and friend. Neither of them looked too friendly.

"What has happened to you?", Isadora nearly shouted, waiting for another disgrace to fall over the show. "What's with those bandages?"

"A minor problem", Uther replied annoyed.

"A man attacked him", Oswin explained. "It must have been the LBC people, after Lord Uther kept on sending the demands"

"Oh, just great! I hope nothing worse will happen from now on!", Isadora pleaded, depressed.

Uther coughed. "Well... there is more", he said, slowly. "Lord Elbert has been kidnapped"

Fiora had to grab Isadora as she fainted, product of all her worries and stress.

Hi there. Sorry for the lack of updates (it's been like a year or more). I want to thank to that last review I got, which just said "Update!". I found it funny (even if this isn't). Well... won't say more. Go on reading, that I've uploaded two chaptersthe entire storytogether, to make it up for the lack of chapters! ;)


	10. Chapter 9: The battle

Chapter 9: "The battle"

Alina and the two cameramen arrived to Badon port, just at the same time as Caprain Fargus's ship did, fastening things up. Needless to say, everyone aboard was worried, as there were no hints of Ninian and Nils.

"Hi again", Alina greeted them. "I wish I had good news for you, but... we didn't find the kids"

"They aren't anywhere on the ship", Lyn said, lowering her head.

"It wasn't your fault", the reporter told her, putting her hand on the Sacaen girl's shoulder. "You were fighting against all those things... how could you know that they were just after Ninian and Nils?"

"Why do you say that?", Serra asked, offended. "They could have been after someone else... like me, for example"

Alina sighed, trying to find a good answer without revealing the truth behind the siblings before talking about it with the production crew. "Well... I said that because they just kidnapped the siblings, and not you... Anyway, let's get out of here. We've found another place to move all of you", she said, pointing them to get into the van.

Isadora drank the glass of water that was given to her quickly, as soon as she awoke after she fainted. "Now... what are we to do? This is too much!", the producer complained to her fellow workmates.

"We must let them out of all this", Uther said, thoughtfully. "Knowing my brother, he would abandon the Castle and go to Nergal's meeting, to kick his butt all by himself"

"Then, let's tell them!", Wallace shouted, grinning. "That would call people's attention, and that way Nergal would have his butt kicked twice, as we would win that timeframe!"

Isadora glared at him. "I'll just tell our crew... no one else", she said, picking her handie.

After a few moments, Alina got an incoming call from Isadora.

"Yes?", Alina answered back through her handie.

Isadora told her the news quickly, in a summarized way.

"Alright", the reporter said softly, before turning off the handie. Right after that, she also fainted, due to all the responsibility that now she had over her shoulders.

Heath looked at Alina, confused. "Do you think that she's sleeping or that she fainted?", he asked Rath, who was driving the van.

"... She must be sleeping", the Sacaen guy replied, after looking at his co-worker briefly. "She must have received very bad news to faint"

"Yes, you are right", the odd coloured-haired cameramen replied, laying backwards. "What can be worse than this show, at this rate?"

"Alright, we are about to start today's show! Everyone, get ready!", Ephidel shouted, from his Director place. With that, everyone started moving quicky, getting ready with their last preparations for the show. Make-up artists were running all around the studio, as well as the crew.

However, Nergal was still dealing with another things.

"Alright, this is what we have already accorded: you go and show the banner, and that's all", he said, handing the short, blonde haired female a case.

The woman opened it, suspiciously. She stared at the opened case and chuckled. "Hey, this is half the money we accorded", Vaida protested, annoyed. "Don't tell me this is the 'the rest when the job's done' trick?"

"You are an intelligent woman, apart from a skilled mercenary", the turban man said, chuckling. "Now, go and get the job done, and I'll give you the promised, missing part", he said, patting Vaida on the shoulder before walking away to the studio, where an annoyed Ephidel was waiting for him to get the show started.

"Bosses", Vaida complained, closing her suitcase. "I shouldn't have turned into a mercenary", she mumbled under her breath, as she walked away.

"Hey, I'm sick of doing nothing!", Hector said, yawning.

"It's a pity that that TV doesn't work", Canas said, bored. "I bet that maybe there was something interesting to see"

"Even if the TV worked, we aren't suppossed to turn it on", Rebecca said, playing with Florina's hair.

"But no one of the TV company is inside the Castle, they are all outside it, so... we could watch all the telly we wanted, if that worked", Eliwood said.

"In that case, let me give it a try. Maybe it works", Matthew said, grinning.

After long struggles, Matthew finally made the TV work properly. The rest of the gang celebrate the even joyfully, rushing to where the TV was, ready to spend some good time snoozing off.

"Hey, don't even think in leaving that channel on!", Bartre shouted, as Serra stopped doing zapping at LBC. "I can't stand those talk-shows!"

"Shh! They are talking about us!", the pink-haired girl shouted back, annoyed.

"What? Are they talking about us?", the few ones that weren't paying attention exclaimed, surprised.

In fact, they were, as "The Darkest Truth" –Nergal's talk show- had extended timetable, spanning the programme into several hours longer that it was suppossed to last. Nergal, the host, was paying attention to what Sonia was saying.

"And you won't believe the news that our people had just found!", the pale skinned woman said, laughing. "Those two red-haired ones, Priscilla and Raven, are indeed siblings. The guy had been given into adoption while they kept the girl!"

"Ohhhh!", a bunch of extras shouted from behind the discussion panel.

"And that's not all!", Sonia went on, now laughing maniacally. "The boy wants to take revenge on the Ostian fanily for having killed his parent, while the girl doesn't know a word about her true parents destiny"

"Uuuhhh!", the extras now said.

"'Uhh', indeed", Nergal said, chuckling. "But I suppose that isn't everything... But it will have to wait, until we come back from this commercials!", the turban-wearing host said.

Eliwood turned off the TV, jaw-dropped. Automatically, everyone turned back towards Raven and Priscilla, who were blushing.

"What?", Raven asked, furiously. "Have you never seen two long lost siblings or what?"

"So those thins almost falling over my head weren't an accident, after all", Hector guessed, getting annoyed as time passed by. "So you want to take revenge on Ostia, do you? Then, let's get things done outside!", he told Raven, yearning a fight.

"Alright, let's do that!", the red haired mercenary accepted, trying to release himself from his siter embrace, who tried to stop him from getting into the fight.

"Hey, look, Rebecca and Dart are siblings, too!", Serra, who had switched the TV on again, shouted, pointing to the screen. "And some girl called Leila has been hurt!", the pink haired girl went on, excited.

"What happened to Leila?", Matthew shouted, rushing to the TV.

In a matter of seconds, all their secrets were reveiled... Dan and Wil's running away from home, Geitz's life, Louise being pregnant... the gossip show just told everything about them...

"This is too much!", Eliwood shouted, furiously. "I can't believe they can do such a thing! I'll go and pick some fresh air!", he said, leaving in the garden's direction.

Right then, the cameramen and the reporters came in, with a worried look in their faces. However, they got terrified at the only glance of the TV on.

"Why had you switched that damn thing on?", Alina shouted histerically. "You weren't supposed to do that!"

"When was Leila hurt? Why didn't you told me?", Matthew asked her nervously, grabbing the brown-haired reporter from her shirt's neck. "I would have run to her side! I need to be with her!"

"I knew about it yesterday!", Alina lied, trying to calm the thief down. "We all thought it would have been better if you knew it later, or if you didn't knew at all, because she's getting better!"

"Hey, where's Eliwood?", Heath asked, confused.

"He went to the garden, to catch some fresh air", Rebecca said, hugging Dart.

"Arrgghhh! What's that?", Eliwood yelled from the garden, adtonished.

Everyone run to the garden, worried.

"What's the... matter., Lord Eliwood?", Florina asked shyly.

"That woman... what is she doing up there with that wyvern?", the red-haired guy asked, unable to come out of his surprise.

"She's riding that wyvern all around the Castle...", Heath said, staring at her. A little tear fall from his eyes. "Hyperion...", he mumbled, touched.

"Look! She has something with her!", Farina pointed out. "Look, she's opening it!"

"Eliwood: your father has been kidnapped by Nergal. Come and rescue him if you are a man!", Hector read the banner that Vaida was holding, after a few moments. "Uh, oh..."

"What?", Eliwood barely asked, terrified. He stood petrified for a few seconds, but then he turned back and went to where the two reporters and the two cameramen were, a hint of hate in his eyes. "You four knew it all from the beginning! Why hadn't you told me anything?", he asked, furiously.

Alina just wanted to dissapear. Heath and Rath were 'busy' recording everything, so the cameras hide their worried faces. Geitz looked in another direction.

"We got the news right now, when we left you all alone, and you repaired the TV", the brown-haired female reporter explained, nervously. "It happened early in the morning, but everyone back at the channel's doing their best to find him!"

"Well, at least now they know where to start looking for him", Hector said, thinking in Vaida's banner.

"I'm not going to stay with my arms folded, doing nothing!", Eliwood yelled, seriously. "I'm leaving this place! I'll go and rescue my father!"

"Great idea! Let's kick that Nergal's ass!", Hector quickly, joined, excited. "Besides, we have been together in many trivial things, so I won't leave you alone in this one"

"I'll also go!", Lyn said, determined. "We can't stay here diong nothing"

In matter of seconds, the entire group decided to quit from the show and help Eliwood in his quest.

"Uh... er... well, I guess this is the end of Big Emblem", Alina said puzzled, facing the camera. "Stay tunned for the parting preparations", she said, awkwardly, before Heath switched the camera off.

"Alright, as our not so bright reporter brightly said, 'this is the end of Big Emblem'", Renault sighed, staring at the TV.

"I told you that Hector would just want to get out and battle Nergal", Uther said, chuckling. "He's rather predictable at times".

"Well, do I look for some old B-movie to replace the show?", Isadora asked, depressed. "The only good thing of all this, is that I'll be able to spend more time with Harken", she said, smiling hopefully.

"Ahhhh...", Wallace mocked her, lightly. "You deserve it, girl, after all", he said, thoughtfully. "But don't grab a movie, we'll go on with the show", he said, chuckling.

Isadora rose an eyebrow, surprised. "What do you mean by that?"

"Aren't they going to face Nergal? Then, let's show that, as part of the show's 'grand-finale'"

"You must be joking", the blue-haired producer replied, annoyed.

"Hey, it's not a bad idea", Renault said, after thinking it a bit. "Then we make the already planned last programme, with the highlights of the battle"

"Do as you want. I'm just the channel's attorney", Uther said, laying back in the armchair.

"Just as he said, I'm nothing but his bodyguard", Oswin said, shrugging.

"I would have loved to find another way out without having to fight against Nergal, but there wasn't", Lord Athos explained, sadenned. "I must prepare myself fot the battle. Excuse me", he said, standing up and leaving the room under the astonished glances of everybody there.

"Then, it's set! We'll transmit the battle!", Wallace shouted happily "If the old man's going, then we have the perfect ending!"

"It's not an old man, he's an Archsage", Pent corrected Wallace, sighing. "Do as you want... this thing has already gotten out of control, so I leave you all in charge", he told the producer's team. "What do you think, Louise?"

"I feel sorry for having taken so much time from your job, honey... but now there's nothing we can do to stop this"

"Alright, we'll show all of Elibe how our contestants fight!", Wallace claimed triumphally, while Isadora sighed annoyed.

"I'll go and tell the others that the show's still on", the blue haired young woman said, grabbing her hand comunicator.

"Hello?", Alina replied back, with a tired voice.

"Hi there", Isadora greeted her back, also tired. "You still have some work to do. You have to go and record the entire battle. Lord Athos is in already in his way to LBC buildings"

Alina took some moments to reply. "Alright... However, we are already going there. Let's say that the contestants took us as hostages"

"I see", Isadora said. At this time, nothing could surprise all over Elibe could surprise her. "Good luck, then"

"Thanks, you too", the brown haired reporter replied back, switching thecell-phone off.

Rath stopped the van's engine, and in a matter of seconds, everyone was out of the van. Karel and Bartre were already forcing the LBC doors. Right after that, they came in, and the others joined them.

A few meters ahead was Lord Darin, head of the channel. "What are you doing here?", he demanded, shouting. "Get out of here, or I'll demand you for invading a private property"

"Not if I cut your neck first", Karel threatened the old man, his sword right at his neck.

"So, where's my father?", Eliwood asked, frowning.

Darin didn't want to answer, but Karel's sword was getting nearer and nearer his throat, so he gasped, "Backwards... at the 'Darkest Truth' studio"

Karel put his sword aside. "That's collaboration"

Just in case, Bartre tied Darin up on a chair, and then the gang went on their way to the studio.

"It has to be here", Geitz commented, staring at one big, closed door. "Let's open it, tear it into pieces!"

They did just as the co-reporter said, and, effectively, Nergal was there, already fighting with Lord Athos.

"So, we have more visits, uh?", Nergal said, as he looked at the newcomers. "Well, as I'm busy, my dear morphs will have to deal with you. Too bad I couldn't get rid of all of you by myself", he said, casting some black magic over the Archsage.

At that moment, Denning, Ephidel, Limstella, Sonia and an army of morphs appeared.

And battle began.

"Argh! What the hell can I do here?", Alina asked herself desperate, trying to dodge an unknown morph's attack. She had to be the only one without a weapon at hand, so she just kept on running, advising anyone she can about some handy battle tactic. Being just what could have been called a 'tactician' (without training), she had no knowledge of how to fight. Another embarrassing moment for her.

"I don't know, grab some piece of wood and start smashing them!", Isadora told her, nervously. "They don't look too bringht, with the exceptions of Limstella, Sonia and Ephidel"

"What, she doesn't know how to handle a weapon, not even a dagger?", Uther and Oswin asked, astonished.

"No, I don't!", Alina shouted, now hiding behind a column, searching for something she could use as a weapon. "I only joined the 'Tactician's club' at High School!", she explained, pulling a string. She managed to make one morph fall down, but Serra and Raven went down with it, also. By this moment, the reporter just wanted to vanish from Elibe.

"Well, keep on running then!", Wallace told her, excited. "Oh, and tell Heath or Rath to get nearer the big fight between Nergal and Athos! I want some good shots from it"

Alina rolled her eyes. "What? This is a slaughtering!", she complained, looking at the mrphs corpses and the blood spilled in the floor. "If they get nearer them they'll get killed, that's for sure!"

"Oh, come on!", Wallace told her. "The rating is exploding! We have a really high rating since the 'slaughtering', as you call it, began!"

"But... hey, do you want to kill everyone to get the highest rating!", she asked, glaring at the cell-phone, as it would reach Wallace.

"Don't misunderstand me, girl", the bald producer said. "I know I sound like a jerk, but this is the final programme... the last chance to finish it greatly... Right now I'm working, and that's why I ask you this. Now go, and get those shots!"

"As you say"; Alina mumbled annoyed, grabbing part of a wooden box as a shield, and run where Rath and Heath were.

Nino walked shyly at first, her eyes unused to that bloodshed. She made her walk to where Sonia was fighting with Lyn and Guy, and casted a Wind spell, all of a sudden.

Sonia looked annoyed in the direction where the spell had come from, and burst into laughter when she saw Nino. "You? What are you doing here? You tried to... hahaha... to attack me?", she said, laughing. "You'll now see what magic trully is", she said, ready to cast her most powerful spell.

However, she didn't. She fall down, death, backstabbed by Jaffar.

Nino walked to him, surprised. Jaffar didn't say anything, and went to aid the others, knowing that he wanted another life, rather than being used as a killing machine.

Nino stared at him, and walso went to help the others. Now she had to think in other things than her past, now that the one who killed her real parents was dead.

Limstella finally collapsed, and with her, all the morphs were dead.

"Nergal, now it's your turn!", Eliwood roared furiously, running to him. However, a dragon appeared, blocking Eliwood's path.

"What is... this?", Priscilla asked softly, awestrucked.

"He... summoned... a dragon", Lyn said, her breath taken away by the surprise.

"Hahaha...", Nergal laughed, weakly this time. It was notorious that the battle with Lord Athos was taking all his energy away from him. "If you defeat the dragon... then you'll be able to face me, thing that I doubt"

"We defeated all your morphs, so now we are going after you!", Eliwood threstened, his fist closed.

"We'll kick your butt!", Hector joined Eliwood, as he striked first at the dragon.

And again, battle ensued, more fierce than ever.

"Alina, is that a real dragon?", Renault asked, not believing his eyes.

"It looks so", the brown-haired reporter said, after advising Priscilla to heal Eliwood, who was starting to walk with some difficulty. "Why don't you ask Geitz? He's clser than what I am", she asked.

"We tried that first, but that guy switched the comunication off, then throwed his headphones, so he could fight better", Wallace said. "It's all recorded", he explained.

"Aha, I see", the reporter said, now dodging a dragon's flame. "Do you want me to get an interview with the dragon?", she asked sarcastically, now hiding behind a column, again.

"That would be nice", Wallace joked. "Well, keep on surviving... wait, would your death raise make a higher rating?", he asked thoughtfully, puzzling Isadora.

"I highly doubt it", Alina said, rolling her eyes. "I'm a bad reporter, and no one would give a... anything for my death. If we killed one of the Lords, or any of the contestants, then yes... what? Are you telling me to kill Eliwood?", she asked, astonished.

"No, I would get fired", Wallace said, disappointed. "Hey, what about Nergal and the old man?"

"Archsage!", Isadora corrected him, quickly.

"Well, Nergal and the old Archsage", Wallace said, chuckling.

"I don't know, the dragon blocks everything", Alina replied, now hiding behind Kent's back.

"Ok, go on with the show", Wallace said, swiching his cell-phone off

The battle had been fierce, but finally, the dragon had been defeated. Nergal was laying down, uncounscious, as well as Lord Athos, who was next to Nergal. The dragon had vanished, revealing a door behind him. The morphs were all dead, their corpses laying all over the room.

"Ninian and Nils must be there!", Lyn cried, rushing to the door. "Lord Athos!", she shouted, once she saw the old Archsage laying on the ground. Quickly, she ran to the Archsage, joining Priscilla and Serra, who were checking his state.

"He's just uncounscious", the short red-haired troubadour said, gently. "I think he'll be ok soon"

"Let me open it", Hector asked, going to the door with his axe at hand. From one blow, he opened the door. Right behind it, Niian, Nils and Lord Elbert appeared, relieved and happy of being rescued.

"Dad! You are alright!", Eliwood cried, as he run to his father's encounter.

"Eliwood! You actually managed to defeat Nergal! I'm so proud of you", Lord Elbert said, hugging his son. "Thank you, everyone", he said, looking at all the contestants gratefully.

Eliwood broke his father's hug and went to Ninian's side. "Are you two all alright?", he asked her, softly.

Ninian blushed. "Yes, we are fine", she said, looking down.

Suddenly, a huge noise came from behind. The door opened, and the 'Four Fangs', Linus, Lloyd, Ursula and Uhai came in, running. They stopped, frozen, realizing that the entire work has been already done.

"Have you finished the entire business?", Lloyd asked, disappointed. "I wanted to 'talk' some things with Sonia..."

"Is that witch gone?", Linus asked, smiling. "It was time... too bad that we couldn't do it ourselves, bro"

"It doesn't matter! She's gone!", the blonde-haired man replied, cheerfully. "No more stupid talk-shows from now on"

"You bet", Uhai replied, smiling. "The police has already came, and Darin has been arrested for being an accomplice in Lord Elbert's kidnapping", he explained to the Big Emblem gang.

"Are you alright?", Ursula asked Nino slowly.

The green-haired girl looked at her, puzzled. "I... yes, I'll be fine. It's just that... I'm still shocked about the entire truth, and Sonia's death..."

"Don't worry... Everything will be alright", the purple haired young woman told her, hugging her.

Jaffar stared at the two girls, silently, from afar.

"Hey, you", Lloyd walked to Alina, who was leaning against the wall, resting after the fight (even if she did little to nothing to defeat both Nergal and the dragon). "Aren't you the gal that bumped into me the other day, outside the disco"

"Er... well, yes", the brown-haired reporter admited, blushing. "Let me apologize once again..."

"Oh, it doesn't matter", the blonde haired guy chuckled. "Got tissues?", he asked her, laughing.

Alina was puzzled at first, but then burst into laughter too, as that was the reason why she bumped into him.

Finally, everyone got out the LBC building, meeting the sunlight. They were now free, ready to return to their normal lives.

An ambulance had already picked Lord Athos up and sent him to the hospital, where he would recover from his wounds after the hidden battle with Nergal. No one got to know what they told each other in that encounter. Nergal had been taken to the police headquarters, were he would await his sentence.

"Well... we are free again!", Sain said, stretching his arms widely. "Guess that the first thing I'll do is going to a disco. I want to see pretty cheeks desperately"

"Wait a second... you still have one last show to do", Alina warned him, smiling.

"What?", the brown-haired guy said, annoyed. "You must be kidding"

"No, the running reporter is right", Geitz said, making an obvious reference to his co-worker's attitude during the battles. "You still have to do the final show, where you talk about your experinces in the show"

"Well, let's do it as soon as we can!", Hector said, getting into the van. "I'm sick of this!"

"Me too!", most of the contestants said, getting into the van.

And with that, evryone returned to the channel, ready to prepare the last Big Emblem show...

Alright, people... the action is over. Go and read the epilogue to know how this story ends...

BTW, the last part with Lloyd and Alina was... senseless, right? At least, it would remind someone about the disco scene...

Remember that it is an AU fic, so that's why everyone ends up alive and well (except the dragon and the morphs).


	11. Epilogue

Epilogue

"Get ready! We are starting at 3, 2, 1... on air!", a voice filled the studio, before the "Big Emblem" music started, and with it, the show began. Everyone was ready, in their exact places, like it was supposed to be from the very begining.

Louise was sitting on a white sofa, with Geitz at her side. She was wearing a gorgeous pink dress, while Geitz was wearing a black suit. At their left, all the show contestants were sitting in a tier, all elegantly dressed (or as much as they could). Matthew, Dart, Karla, Nino and Jaffar were also with the original contestants.

The music stopped playing, and the camera went to Louise.

"Welcome to the last programme of 'Big Emblem'", the blonde-haired hostess greeted the audience. "We are more than happy of being here"

"That's right", Geitz said, nodding.

"Well... what are you going to do from now on, now that the show's finished?", Louise asked, smiling.

One by one, everyone said their plans for the future.

Lyn and Rebecca were offered a TV show, during week-day afternoons. Lyn seemed pretty much interested, but Rebecca wanted to think a little more about it before accepting the post, as she wanted to spend some more time with her new-found brother and Wil, his childhood friend.

Dart was going to spend some weeks with Rebecca and Wil, to see if he could recall more things from his past. Then, he would return to Captain Fargus's ship, more likely, with Geitz as his companion. The new reporter was interested in joining a pirate crew.

Florina would return to Ilia, while Farina and Karla decided to stay together and start a business by themselves, only that they didn't say in which kind of business they were going to start.

Priscilla and Raven would start enjoying their siblings life at last. Raven decided to stop his revenge towards Ostia, after his sister's pleads and after hearing Ostia's point of view from Oswin. Lucius was going to join them, as he was thinking in running an orphanage and he needed help.

Canas was going to return to Ilia, with his family, as well as Dorcas, who received an annonimous donation, which he was going to spend in his wife's recovery. Matthew was going to continue working for the Ostian family, after Leila was fully recovered.

Lowen, Sain and Kent would return to their regular jobs, and Erk would return to his studies. Serra, on the other hand, was going to pursue a career in the modeling and entertaiment business, hoping to become Elibe's next super pop-star.

Jaffar and Nino were going to work for Black Fang Productions, now that Nergal and his morphs were either in prison or death. Everything was going to return to be as it was before Nergal's appearance.

Karel and Bartre decided to hang up together, despite their first encounters. They decided to stick together and battle at the arenas all over Elibe.

Ninian and Nils were in the search of a place to stay. For the time being, the production was going to hire them an apartment. The location would never be revealed to the audience, in order to protect them from crazy individuals or some Nergal followers.

Eliwood and Hector would also return to their normal lives, even if Hector wanted to visit the arena a few more times, but now, with his brother and Oswin in town, that wouldn't be possible... or would it? There's always some light in the darkness, after all...

"Well... I guess this is what we can call a happy ending", Alina said, resigned. She didn't want to join Geitz in the 'hostess' part, as Louise did it incredibly well, so she was watching the entire show behind the cameras, by her own will. "They had defeated Nergal and a dragon, Lord Athos is recovering at hospital..."

"Nergal is going to be imprisoned, Uther is recovering from the attack he suffered...", Isadora went on, satisfied.

"It was time. He looked like a mummy with all those bandages all over his face. Poor guy", Alina interrupted her, staring at the studio, where now Eliwood was talking about the shock he suffered when he saw Vaida carrying that infamous banner all over the Castle.

"You are quite mean sometimes, you know", Isadora scolded her, raising an eyebrow. "I hope he hasn't heard you"

"Why? He would get to know that, anyway", the brown-haired reporter said, annoyed. "I always end up saying stupid things in front of him"

"Just in front of him?", Wallace made fun of her, chuckling. "Did you have any interest in him?", the bald man asked her, now seriously.

Alina blinked twice, surprised. "At all... I barely know him, and I doubt I would be his type... I tend to do too many stupid things when I'm nervous... Besides, the guy I liked has his eyes already set on another girl, and his world just spins around her", she said, looking how Kent stared lovingly at Lyn"

"What about Lloyd Reed?", Isadora asked, grinning. "He came to talk to you after the battle was over"

"Nothing's going to happen with him", she waved down, not worrying about him. "Besides, he's going out with some girl of the Black Fang... no opportunities there", she said, smiling.

"Quite a bad romantic life", Renault commented, joining the group.

"Back on topic, everything's fine! The show is over, everyone is safe and sound... Leila has already gotten out of hospital, Louise is pregnant, most of the guys found a job after being here, and some others have been reunited with their lost someones... Hell, even two dragons in human form are safe and sound!", Alina enumerated, trying to sound cheerful, but something in her voice showed her mix of anger and sadness.

"Talking about the show... aren't you supossed to be in front the cameras, not behind them?", Wallace asked her, not making fun of her.

"No, thanks, I'll decline", the reporter replied, cooly. "I've done too many mistakes in front of the camera. I want to preserve the little dignity left in me"

"Well... enjoy it while you can, because you'll have to appear on-screen, as you were part of the show, also", Pent told her, coming suddenly from his office.

The brown-haired reporter's eyes rolled, annoyed.

The show had finally ended. Everyone talked about their plans, even Alina, who had to face the cameras for the last time, much to her disappointment. She didn't know what she wanted, yet she decided that the entertainment business wasn't for her. She didn't admit it to the public, but maybe it was time to go back to her homeland, and start again from scratch there...

She was thinking about that in the middle of the empty studio. Right after the transmission was over, everyone left the studio, and the lights went down, if not for two or three. She was sitting in the white sofa where Louise and Geitz were an hour ago or so.

Quick footsteps could be heard. Alina raised her head, in order to see who was coming so quickly.

"Oh, there you are!", Isadora, who was wearing make-up and well-dressed, exclaimed, in a hurry. "I've been looking everywhere for you!"

"What's the matter?", the brown-haired girl asked, acting cheerfully.

"Oh, nothing important... just to say good-bye", the blue-haired producer said, giggling. "Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow, won't I?"

"Of course, I'll see you tomorrow", Alina nodded, smiling lightly. "Let me guess: you have a date with Harken", she added, smiling broadly this time.

"Yup, I'm!", Isadora exclaimed excited. "Well, alright... see you then!", she said, waving at her before disappearing in the shadows, ready to go out with Harken.

Soon, Fiora came in, followed by Florina and Farina.

"Hi, girl!", Fiora greeted her, cheerfully, while sitting next to her. "What's up? You look quite down"

"Is it because you are now unemployed?", Farina asked, looking at the reporter. "I completely understand your pain... No incomes, no money"

"It wasn't that... but now that you mention it...", Alina said, now errified at the idea of spending all her few savings in surviving.

"Hey, we are going to have some fun... do you want to come?", Fiora offered her, smiling. "The ending of this nightmare is something worth celebrating!"

The brown-haired girl smiled lightly, then said, "Thanks, but I'll pass... I just want to sleep"

"Hey, you aren't that old to be sleeping on Saturday night!", Farina told her, surprised.

"I know... but right now there's nothing that I wish more than a comfortable bed", Alina said, sighing. "Anyway, have fun for me"

"Alright, see you!", Fiora said. The three pegasus sisters waved at her before leaving, under a storm of laughs and giggles.

"Alright, guess it's time to leave before someone else asks me if I'm fine or not", Alina thought, standing up and picking the few things she had with her: her coat and her bag.

She start walking silently through the corridor, waving at the few ones of the crew that she knew and that waved at her, which weren't many. Renault and Wallace were the first ones in leaving, ready to celebrate, and almost all the contestants had left, sick of their 'imprisonment'.

"Hey, you! It's a good manner to say good-bye before leaving!", a male voice exclaimed from behing her.

Alina stood still, surprised. Then, she turned back, and saw Eliwood, hector, Lyn, Ninian, Nils, Uther and Oswin walking behind her. "Alright, 'goodnight'", the brown-haired girl said, smiling without much enthusiasm.

"Aren't you oing to celebrate anywhere?", Lyn asked her, surprised.

Alina denied with her head. "Not tonight", she replied, briefly. "What about you?"

"Oh, well... we'll go to some pub or something like that", Hector said, pointing to Eliwood, Lyn and the siblings. "Guess my brother's gonna do some 'old people' life and will go right to sleep"

"Very funny", Uther replied, slightly annoyed. "I doubt anyone would like to talk to a mummy", he said, making an obvious reference to his state.

Alina looked to some other place, betting that he had heard her, after all.

"Nah, I'm not going to bed right now... but I'm not going with them, that's for sure", Uther explained, grinning.

"We don't need a nanny", Hector said, looking at his brother.

"That's why I'm not going with you", the elder brother replied. "And I don't want to act like that!"

"Well, enough chit-chat, we are leaving", Eliwood said quickly. "Then, we have to think where Ninian and Nils will live"

"We'll help them to get some hourse or apartment, where no one will chase them", Lyn explained, happily.

"Thanks for everything", Ninian said gently.

"Well, let's go", Lyn said, cheerfully.

"Bye", the brown-haired girl eaved at them, softly. Soon, they were all gone.

She waited a few moments and then she left the building. She wanted to make sure no one was in the sorroundings, as she wanted to be alone. And so she was. Slowly, she walked down the avenue, heading for her home, under the starry Lycian sky.

The End

Author notes

Alright, it's finished. Finally, I could end this story. Actually, it went out of control, as I keep on throwing more insanity, the entire story got insane. Then, this year was a tough one, and I barely had time to write. Now that I have a little more of free time, I decided to finish the story. It was suppossed to last some chapters more, but thankfully I could find a way to finish it in two chapters and an epilogue. Somehow, I feel sorry for this story, as I wanted to make something... better (yes, I admit this is quite crappy, but now I wanted to test how bad my work could be P). Anyway, enough chit-chat. If someone wants to take this fic's idea and develop it in a better way, feel free (you didn't need me to tell you that, did you?). You can also take the 'Big Emblem' name. Just one thing: Alina (I know, 'weird' name, but well... it's not that odd for Russians, I think! P) is the image I have of the tactician, so... she's mine. If you want to use her (HIGHLY improbable), ask me first (I would have no problem, but I'd like to know my tactician's whereabouts).

Sorry for the ones who wanted to see the eliminations and all that. As I said, this fic went out of control. Then, I lost most of my free time, and now I just wanted to finish the fanfic, and this iswhat came out...

Well, everything must end. Thanks for reading (and suffering) my fic. I'd like to know what do you think of my fic, especially what went wrong (I know, I spent too much time with the tactician and her surroundings). Don't flame, tell me what was wrong and how I could mend it (aka: constructive critisism). Again, thanks for reading. Good luck and take care...

Nilke, January 2006

PS.: Forgot to write it earlier. Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem, Big Emblem or any of the songs mentioned in this fic. They belong to their respective owners. I do ownAlina's personality, as she's my vision of the tactician (which you may like or hate, but she's mine; which doesn't mean that I own the 'tactician', it belongs to Nintendo). That's all.


End file.
